Latest reviews

19 Aug 14'

Alan McGuckin reviewed: Cob clay pizza and bread oven building with David Alty: a 'Quirky Workshop' at Greystoke Craft Garden & Barns near Ullswater and The Lake District

"An excellent introduction to skills in making an oven. The emphasis on touching and feeling the material means that even though you may wait until the spring to start it is more than just x sand to y clay but a real feel for what is required"

19 Aug 14'

Ian Grey reviewed: Cob clay pizza and bread oven building with David Alty: a 'Quirky Workshop' at Greystoke Craft Garden & Barns near Ullswater and The Lake District

"I thoroughly enjoyed the course. It was well structured and although the second day was rather slow it allowed us to fire up the oven and get some practical experience of how to operate it. Only one problem. The timing was poor. It is not practical to start building an oven in late summer early autumn. A base must be built, fire bricks and clay sourced and the oven left to dry. Drying is not likely to be successful in the autumn and the oven is sensitive to rain. The process really needs to start in the spring and the course should reflect that by being held in early spring."

19 Aug 14'

Victoria reviewed: Rag Rug Full Day Workshop - London

"I really enjoyed this course. It was a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere and we learned exactly what we had set out to do. Elspeth described the two methods of rag rugging - shaggy or the flatter one and talked about other ways with the proddy. She provided cushion size hessian and hook to take away or a frame and smaller piece of hessian if you chose to do the little picture and she provided scissors and lots of cut fabrics to use on the evening. We could take any fabric we were using to keep with the design and she suggested ways of keeping the design varied . We started a project which was easy to finish and gave lots of ideas. 2.5 hours is a good length of time to get started. When I told friends they were very5 interested, as it's not a common craft to learn about."

19 Aug 14'

Rachael Shreeve reviewed: Stone Carving (relief & 3D) sculpture for Beginners/Ints. - 3D- with Simon Keeley: a 'Quirky Workshop' at Greystoke Craft Garden & Barns near Penrith and Ullswater

"Amazing what you can achieve in a day with a good tutor and convivial surroundings. Completely from scratch, we managed to make a block pattern, print and make up a lampshade, and have some printed material to play with at home too. Brilliant day to get absorbed into a new craft and not have to worry about anything else. Thanks Georgia & Annie : )"

19 Aug 14'

Kirsty Smith reviewed: Introduction to green wood furniture making - two days

"I bought my husband the Introduction to Green Woodworking course for his birthday, but couldn't resist doing it myself too! We had a great couple of days making two very nice side tables. The process itself of making something from green wood is so simple - we loved using the different tools and are hoping to buy some ourselves. The course was taught in a lovely rural setting in a relaxed way by Peter with help from Jarv and Kath, who were both very helpful. If there was one thing I had to improve it would be having enough charged drill batteries, as this was something our group seemed to go through pretty quickly! We would definitely recommend this course."

18 Aug 14'

Diane Moverley reviewed: Introduction to Glass Fusing with Enamels - Full Day Workshop

"An excellent and enjoyable day. Steve was very patient and very helpful in ensuring we all came away very proud of our efforts."

18 Aug 14'

Gill Welch reviewed: Introduction to Glass Fusing with Enamels - Full Day Workshop

"Amazing day spent with Steve & 4 others. I thought that we would only be making 1 glass piece but it was great to practise & get the hang of using the enamels before lunch (2 small items completed) & all to have all afternoon for our 'show stopper' piece! Steve was so helpful & very patient answering all our questions & guiding us to achieve what we all individually wanted to do! Will definitely give it another go next year."

17 Aug 14'

emma hillman reviewed: Candle making workshops

"Had a brilliant day and learnt so much about waxes especially loving gel wax, and different types of wicks. We made a range of candles,container and pillar candles and I had an absolute ball. Thanks Angharad"

17 Aug 14'

D Stephens reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"Had a brilliant time blacksmithing with some mates. The forge is a lovely location, with lots of great sculptures dotted around. We camped at the forge which was very nice. The course itself is great, Nigel is a top bloke. Very patient and good at explaining the various techniques. Had a great time and would like to go back for two days next time!"

15 Aug 14'

Graham Hannah reviewed: Blacksmithing, bladesmithing and metal craft

"I did this course because I have a fascination with craftsmanship and the history of metal work. It was absolutely fantastic and I very much hope to go back. Nigel was brilliant and wonderful to work with. A real pleasure."

14 Aug 14'

Debbie Parker reviewed: Pembrokeshire Maddie Janes Mosaic

"What a lovely afternoon we spent with Maddie and Penny doing our mosaics! We were able to sit at a table in the garden enjoying the sunshine while working on our mosaics - two of us decorated a mirror surround and one did a cat. We really enjoyed choosing from the amazing array of coloured glass, tile pieces, buttons, shiny bits and bobs - all sorts of interesting textures and patterns - We all ended up with a completely unique piece to take home and all feel inspired to do more. Maddie and Penny were so welcoming and helpful - thank you."

13 Aug 14'

Amy Stripple reviewed: Flamework (Lampwork) - Making glass beads for beginners

"I had such a fabulous time today at a 1 to 1 session with Toni. I learnt so much about the equipment, process and different techniques and although I had never done any lamp work before, I came away with lots of wonderful beads and felt like I had improved a lot. I would definitely recommend!"

13 Aug 14'

Graham & Jen reviewed: Greenwood stool making courses at Greenwood Days

"Jen and I absolutely adored our course, Peter is a great host and more importantly, a great tutor. He leads by example and is always on hand to lend a hand. He has a tool for everything and knows a way to fix everything. The woodland setting is simply stunning and with homemade bread and soup for lunch, we wanted for nothing with ample tea and coffee regularly supplied. The location on the Leicestershire/Derbyshire border is a beautiful part of the country, with great village pubs for the evening. My wonderful armchair sits proudly in the kitchen and reminds me of one of the greatest weeks of my life. The best bit was when my daughter asked to inherit it, although I hope to spend many years sitting in it first!"

12 Aug 14'

Hannah Robinson reviewed: Pembrokeshire Maddie Janes Mosaic

"I attended a two hour 'creative' session with my 8 year old son and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Maddie and her colleague were on hand for advice and help as and when we needed it, whilst we were able to work independently on our own mini projects. The studio is a really nice spacious room, well equipped, and in a lovely setting, which all adds to the positive experience. I will definitely recommend Maddie's workshops to my friends and hope to go back again to create another piece."

12 Aug 14'

Adrian Jackson reviewed: Greenwood stool making courses at Greenwood Days

"I have been of several courses with Peter at his place in the woods, staying on the excellent camp site adjacent. Peter is a superb teacher and mentor ensuring that you become competent and skilled at pole lathe turning, using chisels, spokes haves, draw knives and other traditional tools. At the end of any course you take away a chair or stool to be proud of and something that will become a family heirloom. As well as having fun learning new skills you will eat delicious home made food, and new tire of enjoying fresh brewed tea or coffee."

12 Aug 14'

Maisie Parkes reviewed: Basic throwing with Jon French

"The course was absolutely perfect for beginners. Duncan was friendly, clear with his explanations/demonstrations and didn't put pressure on you to feel as though you had to stand and watch every demonstration. There was plenty of hands on time so you could be on the wheel practising as much as you liked and Duncan was available at all times for one to one help. There was no shortage of clay and there was a 'recycling bin' so you could practise without worrying about wasting any materials. I think there could have been an opportunity for us to fire and decorate our pots given the cost of the course. I loved throwing the pots and working with the clay but I now have 5 pots at home that I can't really do anything with."

11 Aug 14'

Gwyneth reviewed: Residential Gyotaku Japanese NATURE printing in Pembrokeshire Wales

"Wanted to try this technique after teafing a magazine article. Deb's enthusiasm for the subject really shone through and the course was fun and interesting producing some very pleasing prints. Definitely worth having a go."

11 Aug 14'

Lesley Hough reviewed: Basic throwing with Jon French

"I found the course really useful and excellent value for money. The staff were all very helpful as usual. The chance to go around the factory was very interesting and a real bonus to see how the clay is mixed. I would recommend the course to anyone wishing to learn how to throw. Duncan was brilliant, very clear, he worked at just the right pace and his enthusiasm for ceramics and education was infectious! It would be difficult to improve the course other than having a few more sinks and water available for drinking during the course, perhaps a water dispenser?"

10 Aug 14'

Ben reviewed: Traditional English Longbow making outdoor course - a 2-day 'Quirky Workshop' at Greystoke Craft Garden & Barns near Penrith and Ullswater

"I had a great time on the course, coming away with my own 1-piece ash longbow and the skills to do the same thing again. Thanks to Tony's informal and friendly approach we all came away with a lot of transferable knowledge on green woodwork, and thanks to his infectious work ethic we managed to cover everything from hewing a stave to properly preparing the bowstring and shooting off the first arrows from our new bows. Greystoke is a lovely little village and a warm welcome awaits for all at the cycle cafe."

9 Aug 14'

Lisa Collins reviewed: Felt Making Workshops - Stratford upon Avon

"My friend and I had a lovely few hours at one of Lesley's beginners workshops and came away with two pieces of felt we were really chuffed with. Lesley, herself, is incredibly kind and patient, explains processes clearly and makes fabulous cake! We're heading back for a more advanced class within the next couple of weeks - yay!!"

9 Aug 14'

E Silcocks reviewed: Learn to Weave on Rigid Heddle Loom, Pin Loom, Tapestry Loom or Table Loom at Weft Blown

"This was the first course that I did with Ange Sewell, and it was fantastic. Ange is a natural teacher, and the atmosphere was totally relaxed. Experimentation was the order of the day, within a framework of clear information, good demonstrations, and a very useful handout. Great fun was had, and there is an *enormous* stash of materials with which to work. Suffice to say, I became a weaving addict, that day!"

9 Aug 14'

Brenda Chambers reviewed: Felt Making Workshops - Stratford upon Avon

"Just had such a great morning with my friend at Lesley's felt making workshop. Nether of us knew much about it but had been inspired by what we saw at the Fibre East show. Lesley is very experienced and talented but was very gentle with us beginners! We made two pieces with which we were pleased. The atmosphere was very relaxed and we enjoyed tea and homemade cake. I think we will soon be back for the next steps!"

8 Aug 14'

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

"Caroline is an inspiring tutor in her inspiring studio. She gives her 'all' so that you can achieve yours! A thoroughly delightful day."

6 Aug 14'

Carole Howard reviewed: Mosaic one day workshop for adults with Caroline Jariwala, Birmingham

"I achieved more than I ever thought possible on this wonderful one day course. Caroline is an absolute delight, having such a natural ability to bring out your (in my case, latent) artistic flair. Her own work is profoundly inspiring in terms of the subject matter and skills execution. I feel totally inspired to develop my skills further. What a magical day we had!!!"

6 Aug 14'

Ewan Ryan reviewed: Advanced Timber Framing Course

"I did the two week course with Alan in July. I learnt lots, laughed loads and put on half a stone with Mary's superb cooking. If I can afford it I'll be back next year for a refresher. All the others on the course were great too which made it an experience I'll not forget."