Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn reviews

26 Mar 25'

Karen Rothery reviewed: 1 and 2 Colour Lino cutting and printing - (Art in the Barn) Tuesday 21st October 2025

"I learned to Lino print with Liz a couple of years ago and returned to learn multi colour printing this time. As always, Alison and Liz made the day a relaxed and creative one, supporting all attendees individually as needed, encouraging and positively helpful throughout the day and I left with a new skill I will definitely be using. The barn is a wonderful space and the welcome from Alison and Liz always warm. Another really good experience I can recommend."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Karen, Good to hear from you and thank you for taking the time to let us know about your workshop with us yesterday - it's always a pleasure working with you. You created a beautiful print, showing skill and understanding of reduction printing, with lots of potential for further development. I hope your third colour is equally successful. Happy cutting and printing. VBW Alison and Liz "

25 Mar 25'

Judith Horgan reviewed: Intaglio Printing with Tetra Paks (Art in the Barn)

"I have been on several workshops at Art in the barn. They have all been extremely well taught. Alison and Liz have the perfect combination of being available with helpful hints and reassurance whilst also letting you find your own way. All equipment is provided plus notes and suppliers contacts are provided for future reference. The barn is a joy to work in and the constant cups of tea, coffee and cakes are much appreciated. "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Judith, Thanks for taking the time to tell us about your time with us in the Long Barn - it’s much appreciated. It’s always good fun working with you and we love your enthusiasm and positivity. You created a beautiful set of prints, whilst developing your skills and knowledge. The range of marks and tones you created were very successful. VBW Alison and Liz"

25 Mar 25'

Steph Edwards reviewed: Intaglio Printing with Tetra Paks (Art in the Barn)

"This is a really interesting and fun course that anybody could have a go at, even if you don’t think you’re particularly artistic. Alison and Liz are lovely tutors, really kind and helpful, and the barn in the middle of the most beautiful countryside is a wonderful setting for a workshop. It was my second workshop at Art in the Barn and hopefully won’t be my last. "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Steph, Good to hear from and thank you for your kind and thoughtful comments. It was lovely working with you again. You produced such a beautiful series of prints and really understood the potential of the process. The narrative of your work is beautiful. I hope you can continue exploring this technique. VBW Alison and Liz "

24 Mar 25'

Jayne Barlow reviewed: Create with a Gel Printing Plate - Mono Printing Without a Press

"Would highly recommend this course. Liz and Alison were superb with their teaching, their organisation and just about everything. The setting is wonderful and so relaxing. I learnt a lot from their very well presented instructions and demonstrations. Will definitely go back for another course."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Jayne, Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your day. It was so lovely to have such an enthusiastic maker ! You produced some lovely work and clearly enjoyed the process so hopefully the day has given you the confidence to continue using your gel plate at home and we look forward to working with you again. Happy printing . Alison and Liz"

23 Mar 25'

Marion Eley reviewed: Inspired by Bloomsbury: exploring a mixed media approach - Saturday 22nd March 2025

"Brushes, paints, pencils, etc, all at the ready in preparation for a truly interesting colourful and creative day. The guidance and help given was excellent. The examples shown inspiring. Whatever our skill level we came away with something which gave us pleasure and a sense of achievement. Thank you Alison and Liz."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Marion, Thank you for your review, we are really pleased you enjoyed the workshop. The day is all about experimenting with new techniques and learning to enjoy a different approach to mixed media. We hope to see you again soon ! Best wishes Alison"

23 Mar 25'

Fran Lunn reviewed: Inspired by Bloomsbury: exploring a mixed media approach - Saturday 22nd March 2025

"Liz and Alison’s talents lay not only in their vast knowledge and expertise but in giving others confidence to express themselves in their own way. Nothing is too much trouble, advise, an extensive array of materials with coffee/tea and homemade goodies always on hand. You certainly come away from one of their “Blooming Days” with much more than you went with. Thank you both for a wonderful day in such a beautiful setting."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Fran, It was lovely to see you again and thank you so much for your feedback ! It is always great to work with you both and to see you both grow in confidence as your work progresses. We look forward to seeing you again . 😊 Best wishes Alison"

22 Mar 25'

Jane reviewed: Inspired by Bloomsbury: exploring a mixed media approach - Saturday 22nd March 2025

"Another fun day with Alison and Liz. I loved the vibrant colours we used and there was no shortage of inspiration from Alison's work and the materials provided. There is a supportive and relaxed environment to work in which allows for exploring new materials and methods. "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Jane, It was lovely to see you again and thank you for taking the time to review the day. You seemed to really enjoy experimenting with the dyes and achieved some great results so hopefully this is a medium you can continue to experiment with at home. Best wishes Alison"

22 Mar 25'

Elizabeth Kelly reviewed: Create with a Gel Printing Plate - Mono Printing Without a Press

"This was a really successful and enjoyable day with Alison and Liz. The course was extremely well structured so that there were specific tasks and techniques that we were led through and supported with. It gave us the chance to develop our printing techniques -and experiment! The setting is absolutely beautiful and it was lovely to sit outside in the sunshine during breaks. We left with a great sense of achievement. Thank you both very much."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

" Hi Elizabeth, Lovely to hear from you and thank you for telling us about your creative day with us. It was a pleasure meeting and working with you and your enthusiasm was infectious. Gel plate printing is pretty addictive, with lots of opportunities to explore and a wide range of skills to develop, so you're going to have a great time over the next few months. VBW Alison & Liz"

21 Mar 25'

Jenni Monks reviewed: Birds on a Wire: Create tiny wire sculptures (Art in the Barn)

"Another thoroughly enjoyable wire sculpting day in the long barn. This is my third visit so there must be something pretty good about it! Alison and Liz are great hosts and tutors, very welcoming - and tea and biscuits on offer all day! This course is suitable for complete beginners and everyone goes home with a bag full of brilliant wire creations. Thank you girls for another brilliant day! "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Jenni, Lovely to hear from you and thank you for letting us know about your day in the Long Barn - it’s much appreciated. As ever, you approach our workshops with enthusiasm and a willingness to learn and consequently, you create some great pieces. We’re already planning our next wire workshop for October. VBW Alison & Liz"

21 Mar 25'

Barbara Gray reviewed: Birds on a Wire: Create tiny wire sculptures (Art in the Barn)

"What a rewarding afternoon learning a new craft. Hosted in a beautiful barn in a lovely pastoral setting. Made five items under the guidance of our tutor. Can't wait to do another. Highly recommended!"

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Barbara, It was great to meet you today and thank you for taking the time to let us know about your day with us in the Long Barn. You created some lovely outcomes and there's lots of potential to combine this process and imagery with your glasswork. We're looking forward to working with you again. VBW Alison & Liz"

21 Mar 25'

Anne Field reviewed: Block Printing on Fabric

"I did this with a friend and it was fantastic. I don’t have a creative bone in my body and Alison gently cajoled an idea from my brain (with templates and suggestions). She was there every step to show and instruct - but will do as much or as little as you want. I was delighted with my finished block and the tote bag and tea towel. It was fun and informal, incredibly satisfying and I left feeling amazed and delighted at what I had managed to produce! Thank you for a great day. "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Anne, It was lovely to meet you. I am so pleased that you enjoyed the day and were pleased with the results, your print was lovely and I am sure that your daughter will be really pleased with her gift ! All the Best Alison "

27 Jan 25'

Sarah Stubbington reviewed: Inspired by Bloomsbury: exploring a mixed media approach - Saturday 22nd March 2025

"A wonderful day in a stunning environment exploring Bloomsbury art techniques. Alison was very knowledgeable and provided all equipment and instruction required to produce stunning artwork whatever your level. The day was well paced, relaxed and supportive. Plenty of refreshments were provided including home baked goodies. A thoroughly recommended relaxing and inspiring day to get lost in art. "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Sarah, I am so pleased you enjoy the day and thank you for taking the time to offer your lovely feedback. It is such a visually inspiring theme, with all the colour and pattern, it has to be one of my favourites. It is always great to see the variety of work produced on the day by everyone, you all worked really hard and produced some beautiful outcomes . I hope to see you again ! Best wishes Alison "

27 Jan 25'

Anne Malone reviewed: Inspired by Bloomsbury: exploring a mixed media approach - Saturday 22nd March 2025

"My friend and I recently attended the Bloomsbury inspired workshop at Meon Springs, run by Alison Butler. We thoroughly enjoyed our day... beautiful surroundings,all the necessary materials were supplied and Alison was very informative and under her expert guidance, we produced some lovely pieces of work..... Totally recommend this course "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Anne, It was lovely to meet you and thank you for taking the time to offer your feedback. I am so pleased you enjoyed the day, you produced some great work and hopefully it has inspired you to continue your creativity at home . Wishing you all the best and I hope to see you again soon. Best wishes, Alison."

20 Jan 25'

Mandy Gundry reviewed: Beautiful Batik on Paper and Fabric

"I attended Alison’s batik workshop on 17/1/25 and had the most amazing day. The workshop was extremely well organised, very friendly and catered for all levels of expertise from novice to those who wanted to increase their skill. We were shown different techniques with time to practice them. Alison offered advice, encouragement and her expertise which enabled us to create our own piece of art. I would definitely recommend this course. "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Mandy, Thank you for your lovely feedback. It was great to meet you and I am so pleased that you enjoy the day so much. I was also delighted to receive the photo of your finished batik piece, it really looked stunning with all the beads embroidered on to it ! I hope that the day has inspired you to keep experimenting with this process at home. All the best, Alison"

19 Jan 25'

Jane Fitch reviewed: Explore drawing, print and collage

"Loved the course. Alison was a great teacher and allowed everyone to work at their own pace. A vast array of materials are there for everyone to use. "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Jane, It was great to meet you and so pleased you enjoyed the day . I hope it has inspired you to continue the lovely work at home . All the best, Alison"

18 Jan 25'

Pam reviewed: Create with a Gel Printing Plate - Mono Printing Without a Press

"Thank you Alison - I had a wonderful creative day - so absorbed in what I was doing that I hardly looked up! I was really pleased with the prints I made, and came away with lots of ideas for more. You also make fab flapjacks!! Lovely friendly course, I will be back..."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Pam, It was great to meet you , you have produced some beautiful work and have really taken to this process, the results are really lovely. It is such an addictive process with so many possibilities , I look forward to seeing where it takes you . See you again soon. Best wishes Alison"

18 Jan 25'

Sarah Hyde reviewed: Beautiful Batik on Paper and Fabric

"This was an excellent course. Well organised and we came away with a lovely personalised piece of batik fabric"

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Sarah, It was great to meet you and thank you for taking the time to tell us about your day. You produced some lovely work and your plans to embellish your fabric piece sound really great , I look forward to seeing the outcome ! All the Best Alison"

17 Jan 25'

Judith reviewed: Beautiful Batik on Paper and Fabric

"This was a fantastic course, well resourced and provided different techniques to use with batik. I would highly recommend it. "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Judith, It was lovely to meet you and so pleased you enjoyed the day, hopefully you can share what you have learnt with your students and they too can enjoy this exciting process ! All the best Alison "

17 Jan 25'

Amanda reviewed: Beautiful Batik on Paper and Fabric

"Absolutely brilliant course very informative and helpful was guided through all the way Alison is lovely went above and beyond to help me as I had a little disaster helped me to put it right came out great so thank you lovely refreshments too and was in a lovely farm so enjoyed my day ."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Amanda, It was lovely to meet you and work with you and I'm really pleased that you enjoyed the day. Hopefully it has inspired you to continue exploring this technique ! All the best and I hope to see you again. Alison"

2 Nov 24'

Nicola Barclay reviewed: Beautiful Batik on Paper and Fabric

"My son and I had a lovely day at the Batik course. We received clear instructions at the beginning and each subsequent stage. Alison was encouraging about our work whilst also suggesting ways we could develop it further. Alison and Liz were friendly and professional and, even though it was a blustery day, the location still looked stunning. . We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend a course here. My daughter and I are hoping to attend the wirework course next year (having heavily hinted to husband/dad as a Christmas present). "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Nicola , Thank you for your feedback. It was lovely to meet you both and I am so pleased that you enjoyed the day . We hope to see you again next year for Birds on a Wire ! Best wishes Alison"

25 Oct 24'

Becci reviewed: New - Fish & Feather - explore fine wire and metal foil in Hampshire.

"I really enjoyed this craft course. It was well taught, well organised and in the most beautiful setting. We were thoroughly looked after all day with teas, coffees, biscuits etc, and got to try out different techniques. It was relaxing and interesting, and run by lovely arty people. I'd go again in a flash! "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Becci, Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your day with us in the Long Barn - it’s much appreciated and we’d love to see you again. It was lovely meeting and working with you, sharing your interest exploring wire and metal foil. Your pieces were beautiful and will hopefully be decorating your home and admired by many. Best wishes and happy making. Alison"

25 Oct 24'

Melanie Rose reviewed: New - Create block printed cushions in Hampshire

"Great course. Liz and Alison are excellent teachers. A beautiful barn and lovely atmosphere. "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Melanie, Good to hear from you and thank you for feedback - it’s very much appreciated. We love working with you and enjoy your positivity. Congratulations on creating such complex designs - I expect you slept very well. Any more plans for block printing projects around your home? Best wishes and happy making. Alison"

24 Oct 24'

Steph Edwards reviewed: New - Fish & Feather - explore fine wire and metal foil in Hampshire.

"I had a fantastic day in this wonderful setting with a lovely small group of fellow craft enthusiasts. Alison was friendly and approachable and a great teacher. I thoroughly enjoyed taking part and learning about working with wire and foil and was very happy with what I took away with me. My wire arrived today so I can explore further! "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Steph, Lovely to hear from you and we’re so pleased that you had such a great day with us - we have big smiles on our faces. Wire and metal foils are great materials to work with and it sounds like you’re ready for creative action! Happy making. Alison ( & Liz)"

22 Oct 24'

Lisa Sanders reviewed: New - Create block printed cushions in Hampshire

"I really enjoyed this one day course. Welcoming and knowledgable teachers in a beautiful old barn in the Meon Valley ran the day with lots of instruction, demonstrations and support, but left plenty of space and time to develop our ideas from small scale prints on paper to mixing ink and finally creating a cushion cover that I'm happy to throw on my sofa! I can absolutely recommend this course and school."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Lisa, Thank you for your lovely feedback and recommendation. We are so pleased you enjoyed the day so much and are particularly pleased that you are happy with the results that you achieved, it really was a lovely design that you produced and one to be very proud of. Sit back and relax and enjoy your new cushion ! Best wishes Alison and Liz"

22 Oct 24'

Emma Smith reviewed: Inspired by Bloomsbury: exploring a mixed media approach - Saturday 22nd March 2025

"Carefully structured day of learning, experimenting and developing techniques. Excellent teaching with demonstrations and advice, and beautifully prepared resources and examples of work for inspiration. A very inclusive, welcoming atmosphere - I loved everything about this course, and hope to come back to this magical venue for more!"

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Emma , thank you for taking the time to tell us about your day with us , it was a pleasure to meet and work with you. It was lovely to see how your work developed throughout the day and hopefully your results have inspired you to explore these processes at home . We look forward to seeing you again . Best wishes Alison "