Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn reviews

2 Nov 24'

Nicola Barclay reviewed: Beautiful Batik on Fabric in Hampshire.

"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 - FULLY BOOKED

"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 "

22 Oct 24'

Shelagh B reviewed: Inspired by Bloomsbury: exploring a mixed media approach - FULLY BOOKED

"Very interesting course. Combines several techniques in an incremental way over the day. Lovely barn to work in. I think everyone wanted to do further courses."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Shelagh, Thank you for taking the time to let us know about your day with us. It was lovely to work with you again. It was great to see your skills develop throughout the day, with your collage being particularly successful. These are all processes ideal for continuing to develop at home. We hope to see you again. Best wishes Alison "

21 Oct 24'

Karen from West Sussex reviewed: Beautiful Batik on Fabric in Hampshire.

"A lovely relaxed and creative workshop in a gorgeous setting, I really enjoyed the day and came away with a good knowledge of making batik on both paper and fabric. I left the session feeling sure I could do this myself at home, and excited to have a go."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Karen, Lovely to work with you again and thank you for letting us know about your day with us. We are so glad you enjoyed the process, confidently developing your skills and producing some great work. Good luck with developing your skills at home and we look forward to seeing the results. Best wishes Alison "

21 Oct 24'

Anita reviewed: Beautiful Batik on Fabric in Hampshire.

"Very interesting course, I throughly enjoyed it and learnt a lot. Have ordered my tjanting tool and paper already. Very encouraging ladies. Thoroughly recommend."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Anita, It was lovely to meet and work with you. We are really pleased that you enjoyed your day with us and your weekend in the hut ! It sounds as though you have really taken to this process and great to hear that you have already ordered your kit. We look forward to seeing you again. Best wishes Alison "

21 Oct 24'

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

"I had a really lovely day with both Liz and Alison not to mention a smashing group of like minded creative folk. We were able to make several pieces that we could take home as well as the practical skills to carry on with the craft at home. I look forward to being able to do other courses in the barn"

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Jane, Great to hear from you and it was lovely meeting and working with you. Wire and metal foils are such interesting materials to explore and there are so many outcomes you can create. Hope you have time to continue developing your skills over the next few months. We look forward to working with you again. Best wishes Alison & Liz "

21 Oct 24'

Shelagh B reviewed: Beautiful Batik on Fabric in Hampshire.

"Very interesting course. Very supportive teacher and interesting technique."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Shelagh, It was lovely to meet and work with you and thanks so much for taking the time to let us know about your time with us in the barn. Batik is an interesting technique, with lots of possibilities for development, either on paper or fabric. Best wishes Alison "

18 Oct 24'

David Coole reviewed: Experimental printmaking in Hampshire

"Alison was very welcoming to the long barn with an interesting chat about the venue. There was a steady supply of tea and coffee as well as plenty of home made flapjack and biscuits. Liz introduced her course very clearly and was a fun and excellent teacher. We learned so much in a great environment and will definitely do other courses soon. "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi David, It was great to meet you both yesterday and thank you for taking the time to tell us about your day. It was a pleasure to teach you both, watching your work and enthusiasm grow as the day progressed. Happy printing and we hope to see you again at the Long Barn. Best wishes Alison and Liz "

1 Oct 24'

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

"Alison's gelli plate workshop is brilliant. I'm not a total beginner - this workshop has taught me so many new things with texture, colours, layers - just so inspiring - I loved it. The barn is situated in beautiful countryside. I went home fired up with enthusiasm and made a print I was delighted with - I would never have made such a colourful print had I not done the workshop. Alison is a great and very patient teacher. Her knowledge and techniques are amazing. Thank you so much Alison."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Nancy, Thank you so much for your review, I'm so pleased you enjoyed the day and learnt so much. It was lovely to see your work progress throughout the day . You produced some beautiful prints which was really great to see. This is such a fun workshop and really lends itself to experimentation so enjoy exploring the process ! Best wishes Alison"

30 Sep 24'

Judith Tasker reviewed: From the garden: Still life with a mixed media approach

"Such a wonderful day. Alison was so warm and welcoming - beautiful setting! It was such a wet and windy day - tucked up painting on the lovely warm barn was such a treat! Thank you Alison for a very nice day - learnt some lovely painting techniques!"

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Judith, It was lovely to meet you and thank you so much for your feedback, we certainly had some lively weather that day, definitely a day to be inside the barn painting ! It was great to work with you, and I hope that the techniques we covered have inspired you to continue developing your ideas at home. Best wishes Alison"

30 Sep 24'

Hilary reviewed: From the garden: Still life with a mixed media approach

"I spent a lovely day with Alison learning new techniques and ways with colour. Relaxed and friendly atmosphere in the Long Barn and delicious flapjacks!!"

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Hilary, Thank you for taking the time to review the day. I am so pleased you enjoyed the day, and the flapjack ! Hopefully the day has inspired you to continue painting at home with some of the new techniques you have learnt . Best wishes Alison"

26 May 24'

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

"A great day. Very well organised and in beautiful surroundings. It was great fun and I was really happy with the techniques and the teaching. I would happily attend more courses here and can recommend it."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Ann, Thank you for the feedback. It’s great that you enjoyed the day. You produced some great work, some lovely finished prints as well as several pieces that you can continue to develop at home, so lots to keep you busy! I hope to see you again soon. Best wishes Alison"

24 May 24'

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

"Alison was very accommodating as I joined the course at the very last minute. It was a fun day and it gave me what I wanted to know about using the gel plate for printing. Now I have some ideas and enough to go and have a play on my own and see where it takes me. Thank you Alison."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Mattie, It was lovely to meet you yesterday and I am glad you enjoyed the day. Gel plate is a really fun experimental process, one that you can lose yourself in for hours so I hope that you get a chance to explore it and I look forward to seeing where it takes you! Good luck . Alison"

20 May 24'

Sue Broadest reviewed: From the garden: Still life with a mixed media approach

"The venue is lovely and very comfortable and fit for purpose. It’s surrounded by beautiful countryside and farmland. Alison was friendly and relaxed. She explained the tasks well and had displayed some inspirational examples of work. It was great to try out a variety of different techniques and materials experimenting with inks, pastels mark making and composition. Thank you for a lovely day !!"

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Sue, Thank you for your comments. I am so pleased that you enjoyed the day experimenting with new techniques and ideas and I hope it has given you some inspiration to continue your creative journey at home . Happy painting! Best wishes Alison "

18 May 24'

Lou Bamber reviewed: From the garden: Still life with a mixed media approach

"This was a really enjoyable course - Alison is relaxed and positive and makes creativity fun! There was no pressure to produce a masterpiece; the emphasis was on experimentation and being encouraged to challenge your way of working. The location is stunning - a huge barn in the middle of the countryside. I would highly recommend these courses. "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Lou, Thank you for taking the time to review the workshop. It was great to work with you , you had a very busy day and produced lots of lovely work ! These workshops are a great opportunity to try new ideas and techniques and to experiment without the pressure to produce an end piece of work . I hope this has given you the inspiration to carry on at home. Happy painting ! Best wishes Alison"

18 May 24'

Abby reviewed: Beautiful Batik

"Alison put on a fantastic course, she was patient and organised, and an inspiring teacher. Cannot wait to do another batik workshop, and bring along my mum or a friend. "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Abby, It was great to meet you and glad you enjoyed the day. Hopefully the day has inspired you to explore the technique with your students and introduce them to this exciting process. All the best. Alison"

28 Apr 24'

Toni reviewed: Transfer printing on fabric

"Alison is a great teacher, very inspiring. Really enjoyed the day and amazed at what I was able to produce. "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Toni, Thank you for your feedback, so pleased that you enjoyed the day. You produced some beautiful work and were not afraid to experiment with this exciting process. Framed up , these will look stunning on your walls ! Enjoy. Best wishes Alison"

26 Apr 24'

Helen Houghton reviewed: Transfer printing on fabric

"I had a really lovely creative day learning Transfer printing. Alison is a very experienced textile artist and generous with her knowledge. I learned lots of new techniques and was able to experiment and enjoy playing around with new ideas. The studio barn is lovely and we were spoiled with hot drinks and home made cakes. I can’t wait to go back! "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Helen, Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your day and I am so pleased you enjoyed the day. Transfer printing is a really fun day and very experimental. It is always exciting to see how the dyes are transformed when heat is added, you never know what the outcome will be ! Looking forward to seeing you again soon. Best wishes Alison "

14 Apr 24'

Mandy shaw reviewed: Beautiful Batik

"Excellent day. Alison makes you feel so welcome and the farm and countryside environment gives you the opportunity to switch off from your normal busy life and focus on self. Just love these days and will look forward to doing another "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Mandy, It was great to work with you again and spend the day exploring this exciting technique. I am looking forward to seeing the finished piece ! All the best Alison"

14 Apr 24'

Mandy shaw reviewed: Beautiful Batik

"I have now done two of Alison’s batik art days and they leave you feeling motivated that anyone can create art no matter what skills you have. Lovely welcoming farm where you can lose yourself for a day with other similar minded people "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Mandy, Thank you for your kind feedback, it was great to share my knowledge with you all. A lovely group of makers and some beautiful results, it is always interesting to see the diverse range of outcomes. Please do feel free to get in touch if you need any more help and advice. Happy painting ! Best wishes Alison"

26 Mar 24'

Lucy reviewed: Flower Power - Exploring Colour

"I have had my eye on the workshops at the barn after passing the location a while ago on a beautiful country walk and then seeing some of Allison's work on an PetersfieldArts group on Insta. The location is wonderful, right out in the beautiful rolling countryside and the barn is simply perfect. It's such a wonderfully inspiring venue. I loved this drawing, painting and mono-print course. I really needed something totally absorbing to lift me out of myself and I loves exploring the different techniques through the course of the day. The materials provided were brilliant!! Alison and Liz are a super duo, I would love to learn more and more from them. Their manner is so warm and welcoming and they clearly have experience of running courses catering for a range of abilities. I would highly recommend this course, this location and Alison and Liz's expert tuition. I'm looking forward to the next course I can attend. "

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Lucy, Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your day with us. We are so pleased that you enjoyed the day so much and were so inspired by what you learnt . You produced some great works using the different techniques and I hope that this has given you the confidence to explore these techniques at home. We look forward to seeing you again at the barn ! Best wishes Alison"