Lynne Friel reviews

Alison Levens reviewed: Leather long stitch journal / artist's book (beginners)

"One of the best craft day courses we’ve done. Both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and came away with two fabulous books each. Lynne had plenty of examples to inspire and her instructions are clear and pitched at just the right level. She was very hospitable, friendly and welcoming, and guided us through the book making process. We enjoyed it so much we are planning to do more courses with her. "

Lynne Friel responded:

"That's so kind of you Alison, it was a pleasure teaching you and Angela a new skill and your books looked great. I look forward to seeing you both in the future. Best wishes, Lynne"

Phil Hopkins reviewed: Leather long stitch journal / artist's book (beginners)

"I don’t regard myself as particularly artistic or crafty. However, making a leather journal attracted me. Lynne Friel is an excellent teacher. I thoroughly enjoyed the course and came away with two beautiful leather journals which I had made. This course has inspired me to take up bookbinding as a new hobby. Thank you Lynne! Phil Hopkins"

Lynne Friel responded:

"Thank you Phil for your very kind review. I enjoyed the day too and your books looked really good. I'm so pleased you've decided to do more book making, it's quite addictive. Don't hesitate to get in touch if I can help further, Best wishes, Lynne"

Sylvie Moors reviewed: Leather long stitch journal / artist's book (beginners)

"I absolutely loved doing this course and highly recommend it. Lynne is well deserving of her Platinum Award, her attention to detail was second to none, she had work stations set out for the three of us with all the tools/equipment required. In addition, there was a good selection of leather pieces, threads etc to choose from. Lynne was very knowledgeable and provided expert tuition, this was supported by comprehensive instructions and diagrams, plus a list of suppliers which were all extremely helpful. I am definitely going back again to do the intermediate course. Ps Lynne makes fabulous Welsh cakes. "

Lynne Friel responded:

"Thanks Sylvie, glad you enjoyed the workshop so much (and the Welsh cakes). Best wishes Lynne"

Claire K reviewed: Leather long stitch journal / artist's book (beginners)

"Enjoyed the day immensely. Well planned, all the materials and tools provided. Learnt a lot. Thank you very much (cat was well behaved). "

Lynne Friel responded:

"Hi Claire, thanks for coming and for your kind review. It was a very good day and the results from the three of you were stunning. Hope to see you again. Best wishes Lynne"

Cristiana reviewed: Leather long stitch journal / artist's book (beginners)

"This is definitely a 5 star experience. I highly recommend it. I enjoyed the course to the full even though I was a complete beginner; I went home with two books I had made and they look really good. Lynne is a confident and passionate teacher. She had lots of colours of leather I could choose from and different types of decorations to finish the book binding. I ended up making my own style and chose to combine fabric, elastic and button. Thank you Lynne, what a great day !! "

Alyson reviewed: Leather long stitch journal / artist's book (beginners)

"This was a very enjoyable day. Lynne is a great teacher with a friendly, helpful style and she encouraged our creativity with different styles which evolved through the day. It was a really fun course and I loved doing it. I was very pleased to go home with 2 lovely books. I look forward to the next course."

Lynne Friel responded:

"Hi Alyson, thank you for your very kind review. It was a really good day with lots of laughs. Now to decide if you keep the books or can bear to part with one! Best wishes Lynne"

Hughes Sharon reviewed: Leather long stitch journal / artist's book (beginners)

"Lovely day spent making long stitch books. Gorgeous coloured leather to choose from. Great instruction and delicious cake. I will be back to make some more!"

Lynne Friel responded:

"Hello Sharon, thank you so much. It was a pleasure to meet you and Sarah and your books turned out so well. Hope to see you again. Best wishes Lynne"

Amy reviewed: Leather long stitch journal / artist's book (beginners)

"I cannot recommend this course enough- to say it was perfect is an understatement. Lynne is not only extremely experienced, she is also incredibly hospitable. Lynne was very accommodating to the ideas I had in mind, and encouraged creativity with fantastic guidance to what was actually possible. Her leather options were beautiful, and she had a perfect array of lovely buttons, thread and elastic. Lynne is an absolute gem, and I hope more people discover this course! Thank you so much for your time Lynne, I couldn’t be more happy!"

Lynne Friel responded:

"Hi Amy, thank you so much for your very kind review. I loved the way you incorporated the collar of an old leather coat into the wraparound cover. I'm sure you'll be keeping your eyes open for discarded leather that you can recycle, the back and sides of worn out leather settees are a good source. It was a pleasure meeting you and your mother - what a thoughtful present. I hope I may see you both in the future and if you get stuck on anything do get in touch. Best wishes, Lynne"

Bernice O’Reilly reviewed: Leather long stitch journal / artist's book (beginners)

"One of the best workshops I’ve ever done. Lynne is an excellent tutor, guiding you all the way with the practical information, skills and techniques but she also gives you space to be creative if you want. I came away with two fabulous notebooks which I’m very proud of and my family were very impressed. I’d definitely sign up for more courses by Lynne and have recommended this one to everyone I know. Five stars all the way! "

Lynne Friel responded:

"Thank you so much Bernice. Your books turned out so well and I'm sure you'll be able to make lots more at home. It would be lovely to see you again at one of my workshops. The first of the Intermediate book workshops start in June, although lots of people come two or even three times to the beginners' one - the results are always so different. Happy book making, best wishes, Lynne"

Sally Robinson reviewed: Leather long stitch journal / artist's book (beginners)

"Lynn was welcoming and hospitable from the start. We were provided with a pre-prepared box of tools and a rainbow of colours of leather and threads with which to make our books. Lynn had a calm and encouraging manner which was very conducive to learning new skills. There was delicious home-made cake and plenty of tea and coffee to punctuate the day too! I am so pleased with my two beautiful books and I look forward to making some more! Lynn also gave us a set of very comprehensive notes to take away. A very enjoyable day! "

Lynne Friel responded:

"Hi Sally, thank you for your kind review. It was lovely to meet you and Angela on Saturday and I'm so glad you both enjoyed the workshop (and the cake). I really liked the closures you both devised, using a pencil to slide into a leather loop to make the books stay shut. If you have any queries when you're making the new books don't hesitate to get in touch. I'm going to put up an 'Intermediate' leather journal workshop soon and hope I might see you both again. Best wishes Lynne "

Llisa Preece reviewed: Leather long stitch journal / artist's book (beginners)

"Thank you so much for this lovely course Lynne. I’m so pleased with my 2 journal books. Great environment for learning. Great value for money. "

Lynne Friel responded:

"Thanks Llisa, it was great to meet you and I'm really pleased you enjoyed the workshop, best wishes, Lynne"

A Moore reviewed: Leather long stitch journal / artist's book (beginners)

"Lynne is an extremely hospitable host - we were treated to cherry cake and plenty of tea before the course while we waited for the third person to join us. Everything was provided to get us under way and Lynne proved a friendly, easygoing teacher with lots of experience and knowledge to share. We didn't realise we were going to do two books, so that was a bonus! Although there were lots of leathers to choose from, I'd have liked a few more colour choices. But that was the only missing ingredient. My friend and I had a wonderful time and were so hooked that we bought a kit to take away. We had no trouble finding a car parking space and the convenience for Chichester or surrounding areas like Bognor or Bosham is outstanding."

Lynne Friel responded:

"Hi Alison, thanks for coming and for your very kind and thoughtful review. I'm heading to the leather merchants soon and will make a note to pick up more brightly coloured leather options. Best wishes Lynne"

Sarah Seymour reviewed: 1-to-1 Mount cutting and effective presentation for painters and photographers

"I thoroughly enjoyed this excellent course. Lynne really knew her stuff and was a generous, well prepared, kind, thorough and attentive teacher. Great to learn such a practical skill and her enthusiasm for helping me get ready for my exhibition was much appreciated. A really good and useful day."

Lynne Friel responded:

"Hi Sarah Thank you for your kind review, It's always exciting when an artist brings the bare bones of an exhibition. I really enjoyed teaching you to cut mounts and helping you prepare for Hampshire Open Studios next week. Good luck with the rest of your preparations and here's hoping for many sales.. Best wishes, Lynne"

Sue Enticott reviewed: Leather long stitch journal / artist's book (beginners)

"A truly stimulating and fun day. Lynne is a hugely impressive and accessible teacher. Not only does she have huge talent and knowledge herself but she is a natural communicator. Her thorough preparation beforehand ensured that all the materials were ready in front of us, so not a moment of the day was wasted. I am not naturally gifted in the handicraft department but Lynne made sure I succeeded with very clear instructions and helpful notes, so I never felt out of my depth. We all finished the day with each of us having made two beautiful leather bound books - I was so chuffed and couldn't quite believe I'd actually made them. And neither could my daughter when I gave one of them to her."

Kim reviewed: Leather long stitch journal / artist's book (beginners)

"Such an informative day, excellent teacher who structured the day to make sure we all achieved two books. Instructions were easy to follow and a nice relaxed atmosphere to work in. Looking forward to signing up for the intermediate course. Thank you Lynne"

Lisa C reviewed: Leather long stitch journal / artist's book (beginners)

"I had a fantastic day, thank you Lynne for being so welcoming and kind. Your such a lovely teacher with lots of colour choices of leather, thread and elastic. It was such a calm and informative learning experience. I had so much fun. I can’t wait to make more books. Thank you. Lisa"

Mark reviewed: Leather long stitch journal / artist's book (beginners)

"A very relaxed and enjoyable course, Lynne is an excellent tutor and presented the course at a good pace and made it fun throughout. Can't recommended this enough. My wife bought this for me as a Christmas present, so seemed only fair to give her one of the two journals I made! Huge thanks to Lynne for such a great course."

Chris Hägg reviewed: 1-to-1 Mount cutting and effective presentation for painters and photographers

"This one day course with Lynne was excellent, a good starting point about the intricacies about mount cutting. Everything was very well explained from start to finish and Lynne is a very experienced and patient teacher. And the homemade cake was yummy too."

Joaquin Trigueros reviewed: 1-to-1 Mount cutting and effective presentation for painters and photographers

"As a completely clueless newbie I felt Lynne gently guided me from zero to hero in a few hours. I feel confident now to go ahead and purchase what I need and get to work mounting all the photos I have been printing over the last few weeks. This course is precisely what I needed. I hope to take another course with Lynne in the future, now that my eyes are open to further mount cutting possibilities."

Celia Javan reviewed: Christmas workshop in Chichester, leather books, key ring purses, cards and tassels

"What a wonderful day I had with Lynne. The cake was delicious, the music soft and gentle, the venue perfect and the handouts really helpful. The star of the show was Lynne who is a brilliant teacher instructing with patience and enthusiasm so that we all left with well crafted items that will make beautiful gifts. I highly recommend her courses to anyone who wants to learn a new skill."

Jo Taylor reviewed: Christmas workshop in Chichester, leather books, key ring purses, cards and tassels

"A lovely day! Lynne is such an engaging teacher; her support and clear instruction ensures that you come away from this workshop not only with some unique hand made leather gifts ready for Christmas, but also with the confidence and skills to 'do it yourself' at home. Highly recommended, thank you again Lynne."

Vicky & Robin Jones reviewed: 1-to-1 Mount cutting and effective presentation for painters and photographers

"The day was full on but very well structured and there was a lot of information to take in but Lynne was very clear and willing to go over things when we struggled to understand. Lynne was very patient especially with the maths and working out of the sizes of apertures we were cutting. We were both complete novices but came away with several mounts and a wealth of really useful information on equipment and tools Lynne has a wealth of experience and went beyond what was described on the course helping me to cut a multi-aperture mount and advising me on mounting cross stitch We would highly recommend this course."

Hilary Kidd reviewed: 1-to-1 Mount cutting and effective presentation for painters and photographers

"The day of learning to cut mounts was very interesting and productive. It took some time to get used to using the cutter, as I am left handed and its design seemed to be biased towards right handed people! Lynne helped me to find out the best way to use it. I made mounts for a photo, a monoprint, and a drypoint etching, all completely different pieces of work. The day was very well structured, and although there was a lot to take in, we still had time to chat over coffee and lunch. Overall, Lynne was an excellent teacher, very knowledgable but also relaxed and approachable."

Christine Taylor reviewed: Christmas workshop in Chichester, leather books, key ring purses, cards and tassels

"This is the fourth workshop I have attended with Lynne. Once again Lynne was an excellent teacher, organised, patient and generous not least with the cake! We all left having made multiple items and the enthusiasm and skills to continue at home. I would highly recommend attending workshops led by Lynne and intend to do more."

Angie Hatchett reviewed: Japanese book making

"This is the third course I have done with Lynne - she is an excellent tutor, endlessly patient and it was quite an honour for me to be at her first Japanese book workshop with Jayne. I came home with three pretty little books, two softback and one hardback with a hinged cover and have already thought of so many uses for making more! I felt that the three of us overcame a couple of small technical difficulties by bouncing ideas off each other and it was a thoroughly enjoyable day which just whizzed by. I have already recommended Lynne's workshops to friends and hope to do another myself in the future."