The Arienas Collective reviews

21 Mar 20'

Janet Dodds-Direen reviewed: Create your own letterpress stationery

"Brilliant course, I really enjoyed it. The setting is wonderful and very welcoming. Lou was a great teacher and obviously knew her stuff. There was an amazing choice of cards and type, as well as the 2 lovely presses themselves to use. I love letterpress and I now feel confident about progressing further myself."

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hello Janet Thanks for this glowing review :-) I'm so glad you enjoyed your letterpress workshop with Lou, and I hope you will enjoy continuing to get creative with letterpress printing. With best wishes Lynn"

15 Mar 20'

Nardina reviewed: Make a macramé plant hanger

"Lucy and Lynn have been absolutely fantastic. I have learnt so much during this inspiring workshop and it has given me the knowledge to keep working at home on my own. The space is welcoming and a lovely buffet is provided with plenty of teas, coffee and cakes. I will go back soon to try another of the many workshops they run. Highly recommended! Thank you, Arienas Collective, for being so awesome!!"

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hello Nardina Wow! Thank you so much for this really lovely review. I'm so glad Lucy inspired you to bring macramé into your life, and that you enjoyed your time in our home-based workspace (which I hope will be open to the public again very soon). Look forward to welcoming you back :-) With best wishes Lynn"

27 Feb 20'

Sian Clifton reviewed: Screen-print repeat patterns on fabric

"So many aspects of screen printing were covered in a day"

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hello Sian Thanks so much for taking the time to leave us feedback. Lou has a lot of knowledge and skills to share, being a printer herself, and I'm glad you feel that the course covered so much. It's the benefit of a full day workshop over a half day that you have time to cover so much more. Hope it inspired you to keep printing! Best wishes Lynn"

27 Feb 20'

Elizabeth Hogg reviewed: Learn to sketch with the Edinburgh Sketcher

"This was an excellent taster course. I learnt a lot and would be happy to take a further course. The small class size meant we could hear and see well when we were outdoors, and Mark gave us any attention we wanted. The length of the course was just right and the coffee was perfect."

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hello Elizabeth Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us this review. We do keep all our class sizes small so our artists and makers can give you the help and support you need to get the most of your time. And glad you enjoyed the coffee! Hope to see you back at one of Mark's advanced sketching with watercolour workshops sometime soon. Meantime, keep sketching! With best wishes Lynn"

27 Feb 20'

Sylvie Soudan reviewed: Learn to sketch with the Edinburgh Sketcher

"Suitable for beginners and more experienced artists. As the group is deliberately kept small Mark is able to give everyone individual guidance at their own level. A relaxed but very stimulating session, highly recommend."

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hello Sylvie Thank you so much for this lovely review. We keep our group sizes small for exactly the reasons you give, and I'm so glad you felt this meant that Mark was able to give you each the individual support you needed. He has a lovely relaxed way of teaching, yet your sketching results show that much was achieved in a relatively short time. Maybe see you at one of his upcoming advanced sketching with watercolour workshops? Meantime, keep sketching! Best wishes Lynn"

27 Feb 20'

Graham Brown reviewed: Learn to sketch with the Edinburgh Sketcher

"I was given this course as a gift at Christmas. Despite losing my glasses on the way to the course I really enjoyed the experience. I was very pleased with what I managed to produce, despite the lack of glasses, under the expert guidance of our tutor Mark. He made everyone feel welcome and relaxed and was always on hand with help and advice. I would certainly recommend this course to others and hope to join further courses in the future."

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hello Graham You did so well without your glasses! I do hope you recovered them. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a review. I thought you all created some fantastic work - on what was a chilly day! Mark has a lovely relaxed way of teaching a skill some people are a bit scared of trying. I'm glad your experience has encouraged you to continue, and hope to welcome you back soon. With best wishes Lynn"

11 Feb 20'

Ann Robertson reviewed: Bookbinding and sketching workshop at The Arienas Collective in central Edinburgh

"A fantastic workshop with very high quality tuition. A lovely environment and tasty lunch. Enjoyed the mix of making a sketchbook and then getting out and about in the afternoon. Learnt loads with excellent follow up notes. Looking forward to exploring their other workshops."

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hi Ann Thanks so much for taking the time to leave us a review, and Cass, Mark and I are delighted to hear you enjoyed it so much. I hope to welcome you back to The Arienas Collective soon. Meantime keep filling up that lovely sketch book you made! With best wishes Lynn :-)"

9 Feb 20'

Karen Giles reviewed: Silver clay jewellery taster with Anna Campbell

"A very big thankyou to Lynn and Anna for their warm welcome & the fantastic silver clay taster session - the perfect way to spend an afternoon! Really proud of what I created and still amazed by the alchemy of turning a piece of clay into fine silver. Already looking to book a space on the Introduction course!"

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hello Karen You are most welcome, and thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. Anna and I are so pleased that you are proud of what you created, and that you find silver clay as magical a material as we we do! We look forward to welcoming you back for the full day beginners class, and I'm sure you'll love learning how to make a moulded shape, and how to set a stone in your silver clay jewellery. With best wishes Lynn"

5 Feb 20'

Heather Payne reviewed: Make a bespoke Macramé bag

"Had a fantastic evening in this taster workshop. It was a great opportunity to try out the skills with loads of support. Lucy was very friendly and approachable allowing you to get the most out of the time. This was a small workshop so plenty of capacity for one on one support. Definitely something I’d try again and maybe even try out the wall hanging session next!"

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hi Heather We're so glad you enjoyed your macramé workshop. We always keep our class sizes small so that the artists and makers are able to help you get the most out of your time here, so I'm glad you felt you had all the support you needed. I'm hoping to try out the wall hanging workshop myself...so maybe see you there! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review - it means a lot to us :-) With best wishes Lynn"

2 Feb 20'

Alison Robertson reviewed: Beginners silver clay jewellery class with Anna Campbell

"This entire day was a delight. The working space, in Lynn's home, is gorgeous, and enormous thought and care was taken over every aspect of the experience. Delicious snacks and lunch! The excellent tuition and guidance from Anna helped me make earrings and a rose mould, and I am definitely inspired to do more silver clay. Fantastic value for money, I had a lovely time, thanks so much Lynn and Anna."

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hello Alison Thanks for this lovely, personal review. We're so glad that you enjoyed your day so much, and were pleased with the fabulous earrings and rose mould you made. Most of all we love that you've been inspired to do more silver clay! I hope to welcome you back soon, and I will make sure Anna has seen this too. :-) With best wishes Lynn"

20 Jan 20'

Hannah reviewed: Self-care Sundays - create a personal pamper pack with The Scottish Soapworks at The Arienas Collective in central Edinburgh

"Wow what a wonderful day! Such a relaxing, welcoming and homely environment - Lynn had thought about every detail to make the day special, tea coffee on arrival, a delicious lunch we could relax over and relaxing music. My partner chose this as a gift for me over others for its relaxed environment and supporter of the local artist community and I’m so pleased he did! I’m pleased to also say how environmentally friendly the set up was - from Lynn's home (plastic free toilet rolls, teabags, local produce etc) to the materials we used on the day. Regarding the course - Jenny was a fantastic teacher - patient and knowledgeable with all our questions, relaxed and supportive and just a lovely gentle and warm approach. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about soap making, and especially the creams - I’ll never buy another cream as I’ve promised to myself I’ll make them. If you’re interested in getting started in soap and cream making I highly recommend this course!"

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hello Hannah Wow back at you for such a kind and thoughtful review, and thank you also to your partner for choosing us for the reasons he did. It means so much to us. :-) It's great to know that we have another convert to the joys and benefits of making your own products. Jenny will be delighted to hear that you feel confident enough to get going with making your own soap and skincare from now on. It's a fantastic way of ensuring you know exactly what is going into your skincare - and onto your skin - and to reduce your single use plastic, which is clearly as important to you as it is to us :-) We hope to welcome you back to The Arenas Collective sometime soon. With best wishes Lynn :-)"

15 Jan 20'

Kirsty Stevens reviewed: OLD Soldering silver clay jewellery at The Arienas Collective in Edinburgh's historic New Town

"Attended the silver clay soldering course with Anna on Sunday and had a blast. SO delighted with the pieces that I made- and that they actually look professional and good enough to give away as gifts. Anna was an extremely patient and attentive teacher and I was astonished at how willing she was to share her professional secrets with attendees- extremely generous. Lunch was fabulous- worth booking for that alone. Highly recommend this really chilled but incredibly creative day."

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hi Kirsty. Thank you so much for your lovely review. Your silver clay pieces looked amazing...good enough to sell I'd say ;-) I'm so glad you enjoyed the workshop and your time with us. We do aim for you to leave chilled as well as inspired, and proud of what you made, and it makes Anna and I very happy to hear that you did! We hope to welcome you back soon. Best wishes, Lynn :-)"

27 Nov 19'

Beverley Bryant reviewed: Silver clay ring making

"I thoroughly enjoyed the introduction to ring making. I booked it immediately after doing the shorter course! I found it to be a very relaxing day, in a fabulous venue. I wear my rings every day- and I still can’t quite believe I made them! I’d recommend the courses to everyone."

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hello Beverley Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a review. We're so glad to hear that you are wearing your rings with pride. Rightly so! And, YES you really did make them :-) It's amazing the creativity that lurks within us all just waiting to be released. And it's so lovely that you also felt like your time with us was relaxing. We couldn't wish for more. With best wishes, Lynn"

20 Nov 19'

Cheryl reviewed: Festive soap and cream making with The Scottish Soapworks

"What a great day. The venue was lovely, the lunch was delicious and Jenny’s skilled guidance was excellent. ?"

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hi Cheryl. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave us a review. We're so glad that you enjoyed the space, lunch and your soap-making workshop with Jenny from The Scottish Soapworks! We hope to welcome you back to The Arienas Collective soon. With best wishes Lynn :-)"

20 Nov 19'

Patricia Harrison reviewed: Self-care Sundays - create a personal pamper pack with The Scottish Soapworks at The Arienas Collective in central Edinburgh

"I recommend the venue and this workshop for a relaxing, congenial and productive day out. The presentation was relaxed and instructive and it was good to have finished items to take home, together with information regarding how to create the products at home and where to source the ingredients. The recipes and processes are set out in handouts provided for each attendee. The workshop is rewarding day out and a great gift for someone else as a present."

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hello Patricia Thanks for taking the time to leave us this lovely review, and for your thoughtful words. We do try to get the right balance of relaxation and productivity so you can take home something you've created, completed and feel proud of while still feeling you've had some 'time out' from day-to-day life. And it sounds like we managed to achieve that for you which makes us very happy. We hope to welcome you back to The Arienas Collective soon - perhaps you can add it to your own gift wish-list! ;-) With best wishes Lynn :-)"

20 Nov 19'

Anna Campbell reviewed: Creative workshop hub in Edinburgh's beautiful and historic New Town

"I love teaching jewellery workshops with the Arienas Collective. The venue is homely and welcoming and in such a great location, close to travel links. Lynn and John work hard to create a lovely atmosphere and provide excellent locally-sourced refreshments. On one day workshops, a delicious lunch is included for us all. There are a great range of creative workshops available and as well as teaching I've attended some myself! Highly recommended"

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Thanks Anna :-) We so enjoy hosting your silver clay workshops, and never tire from watching the magic of clay turning into hallmark quality silver! It's great that we've had so many people attend your beginner workshops that we've been able to introduce 3 intermediate classes this year - and next year our first silver clay Masterclasses! Congratulations on all your lovely 5 Star reviews on Craft Courses, and for choosing The Arienas Collective as your workshop space. We look forward to hosting your silver clay jewellery workshops in 2020. With best wishes Lynn"

20 Nov 19'

Fiona Palmar reviewed: Festive soap and cream making with The Scottish Soapworks

"Inspiring surroundings (thanks for opening your home), people and detailed step by step guide for making both cold process and melt and pour soaps.. The soaps I made on Saturday, I had intended to give away, but they are all mine! I will just have to make everyone soaps for Christmas next year! I do intend to come back again soon, and I am thinking about at least 1 voucher for gifting. Many thanks for all the inspiration Lynn and Jenny."

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Thanks for this lovely review Fiona. And we're happy that those lovely soaps you made are making their way into your personal soap stash! We're glad you found the guides helpful, and hope it will inspire you to give soap-making a go at home...or of course to come back here to make more :-) We look forward to welcoming you back soon, and thanks for supporting local artists and makers. With best wishes Lynn :-) PS If you are thinking of buying (or asking for) a gift voucher for Christmas, we've a special offer on at this Saturday's Open Day where you get a free gift box with every voucher worth £45 or more. Just saying ;-)"

15 Nov 19'

Gail Gray reviewed: Beginners silver clay jewellery class with Anna Campbell

"Hi Lynn I was on the silver clay course today. Firstly can I say what a beautiful house you live in and secondly the quality and quantity of food and refreshments served was amazing. Thank you so much I enjoyed everything. Can you please pass on my thanks to Anna. She was so knowledgeable, informative and her experience, passion and love of jewellery shone through. The course exceeded any expectations I had. I can’t wait to learn more and look forward to seeing you again. Thank you both for a fantastic day. Gail"

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hello Gail Thank you so much for taking time to leave us this lovely review. You have summed up what we hope to achieve here: to provide a relaxing and welcoming space; to make you feel like you have taken 'time out' from every day life through fully engaging in a creative activity; and to inspire you to continue being creative at home. It sounds like we managed that for you which makes us very, very happy :-) Anna and I are so glad you enjoyed your day, and we look forward to welcoming you back to The Arienas Collective soon. And thank you for supporting local artists and makers. With best wishes, Lynn :-)"

7 Nov 19'

Annette Thompson reviewed: Festive soap and cream making with The Scottish Soapworks

"Thanks to Jenny and Lynn for a fantastic day learning all about how to make wonderful soaps using the cold method and the melt and pour. The event was hosted in Lynn’s studio in her lovely home where a yummy lunch was also provided. I’m now totally inspired and have made soap using paprika, coffee ground from my morning coffee and even parsley! I’d highly recommend this course, as well as making beautiful organic products for yourself it’s also makes a great gift for family and friends"

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Thanks for your lovely review Annette, and it's wonderful to hear that you've carried on making soap at home. We feel we've done well if we've inspired, and enabled, people to continue being creative. We love the sound of your recipes - and great that you've found a good use for your recycled coffee grounds! Do share photos of your soaps with us if you get the chance, and keep us in touch with your amazing soap-making endeavours. We hope to welcome you back to The Arienas Collective soon. With best wishes, Lynn :-)"

29 Oct 19'

Ann Sutherland reviewed: Silver clay jewellery taster with Anna Campbell

"I attended a workshop as part of a family group with ages ranging from 13-75. We all had a great time, made some unique pieces of jewellery, and would recommend this workshop to anyone. Lynn was fantastic, arranging everything for us and welcoming us into her home. Anna is a brilliant teacher, keeping things relaxed but informative, and we really appreciated her rushing back from Glasgow to run the workshop for us! The location is great, too. It's a very easy 5-10 minute walk from Waverley. Can't wait to go back and learn more!"

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hi Ann! We were delighted to welcome you and your lovely family to The Arienas Collective: it's always special to see different generations getting creative together. What a fabulous range of silver clay jewellery designs you all designed! Anna and I are so glad you all enjoyed the workshop and were happy with the unique jewellery you made. Well done to everyone, and we hope to welcome you back here very soon. Best wishes, Lynn :-)"

28 Oct 19'

Sian Clifton reviewed: Silver clay boxes and beads workshop

"A fantastic day, so full of information. Anna is an inspiring teacher who encourages creativity in others. I am looking forward to my next class with her."

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hello Sian. Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. I'm so glad you loved your class. We always hope that people attending our classes will be inspired to continue being creative at home, and it's even more special when they book to come back to learn more :-) Anna will be delighted, and we both look forward to welcoming you back to The Arienas Collective to get creative with us again!"

24 Oct 19'

Lorraine Baillie reviewed: Festive soap and cream making with The Scottish Soapworks

"I highly recommend this course. A wonderful, informative day in a beautiful location. I thoroughly enjoyed learning two processes for making soap, both Jenny and Lynn were very helpful. We all went home with some lovely soap, decorated and packaged by ourselves and also received all the information required to continue at home. I will also add that lunch was delicious and as I require gluten free, that's not something I can say very often."

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hello Lorraine. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review and for the lovely, detailed feedback. I'm so glad that you enjoyed your soap-making workshop, and the lunch! We try to cater for all dietary needs. We hope to welcome you back to The Arienas Collective one day. With best wishes, Lynn :-)"

23 Oct 19'

Jane Gibson reviewed: Festive soap and cream making with The Scottish Soapworks

"A very well prepared course in lovely surroundings. We were very well looked after and had a chance to try out two soap-making techniques - including the complicated one! After Jenny's excellent tuition I now feel confident to have a go myself at both processes. Oh, and we went home with a selection of lovely soaps which I am now sharing with my friends!"

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hello Jane. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your lovely review. The traditional, cold process method is a little more complicated isn't it! But it's lovely that you get to go on to make the simpler 'melt and pour' glycerine soap in the afternoon, which you get take home with you on the day. I hope you - and your friends - are enjoying their lovely soaps. And I hope you will enjoy your cold process soap as much when it arrives with you from Jenny. We look forward to welcoming you back to The Arienas Collective sometime soon. With best wishes, Lynn."

18 Oct 19'

Hazel Adair reviewed: Two-day soap-making and skincare business course with The Scottish Soapworks at The Arienas Collective in Edinburgh

"Lynn and Jenny could not have been more accommodating. They tailored the course to suit my business needs and more than fulfilled the brief. In addition the accommodation and breakfast were both excellent ( high praise from a well seasoned traveller) and the welcome warm. Thank you to all - I will be back - and have no hesitation in recommending you!"

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hello Hazel. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, and for your very kind feedback. I'm glad the course met your business needs, and we were both super impressed with your soap-making ideas, plans and creative ideas! We look forward to hearing how your business progresses. It was also a pleasure having you stay with us, and we look forward to welcoming you back. With very best wishes, Lynn, John & Jenny"

18 Oct 19'

Wendy Clarke reviewed: Lino-printing onto fabric

"I found this lino printing workshop via the Craft Courses site. I thoroughly enjoyed it, delivered in the lovely surroundings of Lynn's home and with a wonderful lunch. Suzanne was a great teacher, leading us through each step and providing reassurance and guidance when needed. Although I was a bit nervous at the start of the day as I've never been particularly artistic, I finished the day with my own completed design printed on to a canvas tote bag! So I came away feeling pretty pleased. I would highly recommend."

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hello Wendy. Thank you so much for taking the time to send us a review. I'm glad you enjoyed your workshop and were pleased with your final printed design. I thought your bag looked fabulous! It's tricky learning to create and cut a design for the first time, and hopefully you can use the lino design you took home with you to print onto many more products. We love it when beginners surprise themselves with their own creativity. Hope to welcome you back to The Arienas Collective one day. With best wishes, Lynn :-)"