The Arienas Collective reviews

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."

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"

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 :-)"

Liz Williamson reviewed: Beginners silver clay jewellery class with Anna Campbell

"A well run enthusiastic workshop that taught me new skills that I hope to develop further. The welcome and hospitality was generous, a convivial lunch was well presented and the break fitted well into the day. I went on a Sunday when we were told the time was more limited, but we did get everything done within the time allocated so perhaps we needn't have been told this! I will certainly look at other courses at The Arenas Collective."

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hello Liz. Thanks for your lovely feedback. We're so glad you enjoyed the course and working with the amazing material that is silver clay. You're right about the timing: I had actually got the finish time mixed up with another Sunday workshop which you might have noticed when Anna corrected me! We look forward to welcoming you back to The Arienas Collective soon. With best wishes, Lynn"

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

"Very enjoyable and informative day. Great teaching in an informal and relaxed setting which has given me the confidence to experiment with techniques at home ."

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hello Aileen. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave us a review. I'm glad Anna has given you the confidence to continue experimenting with silver clay jewellery at home, and that you found the space relaxing - something we always try to achieve to encourage those creative juices to flow! Congratulations on the wonderful pieces you made. Hope to welcome you back sometime soon. Best wishes, Lynn"

Joanne Hunt reviewed: Silver clay boxes and beads workshop

"Fantastic course with Anna! I thoroughly enjoyed this class, my favourite part was learning to construct a more 3D pendant. Anna is a great teacher and demonstrates and explains the techniques in detail and has great tips on working with metal clay. The setting for the courses is great, just a short walk from Edinburgh Waverley if you are travelling, lots of space to work and a great lunch as well! It was nice to learn more about Arienas collective too and the other courses that they offer, I would definitely recommend taking a class with Anna and at this venue."

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Thank you so much for this lovely review Joanne! It was a pleasure to have you join us for our first-ever silver clay boxes and beads class with Anna and we're glad you enjoyed it so much. The pieces you created were lovely, and we are delighted you were pleased with them. I hope to see you at The Arienas Collective again sometime soon. Keep creating! Best wishes, Lynn"

Denise Angus reviewed: Silver clay ring making

"This is the third time I have gone to a silver clay course at The Arienas Collective with Anna Campbell. This time I went with my daughter. We had a lovely day in a relaxed friendly environment with an excellent and patient teacher. We were both very pleased with the rings we made and were surprised at the level we managed to achieve. I would strongly recommend both The Arienas Collective and Anna Campbell."

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hello Denise. Thank you so much for taking time to leave us a review on Craft Courses. We're delighted that you and your daughter enjoyed your silver clay ring making class. And thank you so much for becoming an Arienas silver clay regular! The rings looked fabulous when they left for the kiln, and even better when they were fired and polished! You should be really pleased with yourselves. :-) Hope to welcome you back again soon. Best wishes, Lynn x"

Angela innes reviewed: Silver clay jewellery taster with Anna Campbell

"I attended the introductory course on Tuesday 20th August. I am not one for going to new things on my own and certainly not creative events like jewellery making, however, it was given to me as a gift so nervously I attended. The evening was amazing. So relaxed and comfortable. Lynn and Anna were very welcoming. There were lovely refreshments in a fabulous environment. The jewellery making was fun and I learnt loads. I also came home with some lovely pendants which friends and family are very impressed with. Thank you to both Lynn and Anna for a great experience and confidence booster."

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hi Angela. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a review. We're delighted that you overcame those nerves, and discovered that inner creative we knew was in there all along! It's amazing what you can achieve with the right help, support and encouragement and we're so happy that you enjoyed the experience and left with enough confidence to keep creating. You should be rightly proud of those fabulous pendants you made! Hope to welcome you back soon. Best wishes, Lynn x"

David Campbell reviewed: Festive soap and cream making with The Scottish Soapworks

"A relaxing learning environment helped by the friendly and welcoming approach from both Lynn and Jenny. Lovely surroundings and a real sense of team effort from start to finish learning both processes. I've already passed out samples to friends and family and have started to purchase the products to continue to learn this fascinating process. I have the bug and will be back for other courses and may even look to the two day business course with Jenny I enjoyed it so much. A fabulous day and I'd highly recommend it to anyone curious about the soap making processes."

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hi David. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review. We're delighted to hear that you've continued making soap at home, and it sounds like you've really caught the soap making bug! Hope to welcome you back again soon. With best wishes, Lynn"

Aileen Paterson reviewed: Silver clay ring making

"Thoroughly enjoyable day. Great tuition in lovely and relaxing surroundings."

Suzanne Higgs reviewed: Introduction to calligraphy

"Really enjoyed my day with Panna learning Calligraphy in the beautiful Arienas space that's kindly provided by hostess Lynn. We spent most of the morning practicing our alphabet with both calligraphy pens and pen and ink. Then after a beautiful lunch we got more creative in the afternoon learning how to write within shapes and varying the sizes of our letters. At the end we cut out and arranged our words and letters to create a personal artwork which we got to frame and take home. Panna was endlessly patient with all of us and gently took us through the process in a gradually unveiling way. Would definitely recommend as it was lovely relaxing day spent with like minded people."

Elaine reviewed: Silver clay jewellery taster with Anna Campbell

"I loved our afternoon spent learning about the miracle that is silver clay. The welcome from Lynn was warm and the small group really bonded well. Anna was friendly, informative and really helpful too. Everyone produced amazing jewellery, I'm really proud of my double star necklace and heart charms. I highly recommend this as a fantastic gift for yourself or others and hope to be back again soon."

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hi Elaine. Thanks for the lovely review. And we absolutely LOVED your double star necklace too! It's always so exciting to see the different jewellery people create from the same raw materials. And we're particularly glad when people surprise themselves with their own creativity (which of course we believe is in everyone just waiting to be released!) We hope to welcome you back to The Arienas Collective one day. With best wishes, Lynn :-)"

Rachel Collins reviewed: Silver clay jewellery taster with Anna Campbell

"I really enjoyed my afternoon getting my first taster to silver art clay. A note to anyone thinking about a workshop here, you are guaranteed a warm welcome in a warm and friendly creative environment. Met some lovely people. I am already looking forward to the next one. Rachel. X"

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hi Rachel. Thank you so much for your lovely review. I'm so glad that you enjoyed your silver clay jewellery class: isn't it a fantastic material to work with! I hope you enjoy wearing your lovely jewellery. And I'm delighted to hear you felt warmly welcomed. We always aim to create a welcoming, social environment, but it's the people who come to our workshops that bring the space to life. So thank you for being such a great group! We look forward to welcoming you back soon. Best wishes, Lynn x"

Emma Watt reviewed: Bookbinding and sketching workshop at The Arienas Collective in central Edinburgh

"Superb course by Cass. Loved the materials used and how it’s transformed into an amazing hand bound book. Love mine so much!"

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hi Emma. Thanks for the lovely review. We're delighted you're so much in love with your beautiful hand-bound book, and look forward to welcoming you back again soon. Best wishes, Lynn :-)"

Ella reviewed: Silver clay jewellery taster with Anna Campbell

"I attended the class on Monday 1st April and had a fantastic afternoon with Anna and Lynn. Anna put us at our ease straight away and was there to give all the help and advice needed. I would recommend this course for anyone wanting to try a different craft, it is great value for money. All my friends are amazed at the earrings I made on my first attempt. Thanks"

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hi Ella. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave us a review. And I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the workshop so much. I'm not surprised your friends were amazed at the earrings you managed to create on your first time working with silver clay - they looked fabulous! Hope to welcome you back to The Arienas Collective soon. With best wishes, Lynn :-)"

shona farquhar reviewed: Bookbinding and sketching workshop at The Arienas Collective in central Edinburgh

"Super class. Well organised in a lovely casual environment. Good hands-on tuition from Cass for the bookbinding. Really love my sketchbook-it's been much admired by my arty and non-arty friends alike! Afternoon sketching was really enlightening. Picked up a lot of tips from Mark on how to tackle line and wash subjects, perspective, tone etc. Especially appreciated the care taken to accommodate dietary requirements for snacks and lunch. All in all a real treat of a day!"

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hello Shona. Thank you so much for your lovely review. I'm glad you enjoyed both workshop sessions - we think it's a great combination: learning how to make your own sketchbook with Cass, and then taking it out and about with Mark to start filling the pages with sketches. Lovely to hear it's being much admired by friends and that you picked up so many helpful tips. We hope to welcome you back to The Arienas Collective soon. Best wishes, Lynn :-)"

Kirsty Stevens reviewed: Silver clay jewellery taster with Anna Campbell

"Attended the silver clay taster workshop last night- utterly blissful way to spend 3 hours! I was quite nervous attending by myself, but there was an extremely warm welcome on arival and Anna was so lovely that I felt I was with old friends within minutes. The session was so informative and I was astounded with what I made with no skills or artistic talent, and in such a short period of time. I am delighted with my silver necklaces and cannot recommend this course highly enough. I am so keen to experiment with silver clay that I`ve put it on my birthday wish list. Thank you ladies for being so talented, inspiring and just down right lovely- hope to see you again soon. Kirsty"

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hi Kirsty. Thanks so much for your really lovely comments. We believe there's a creative inside everyone - and we're delighted you discovered your inner creative on Anna's silver clay jewellery workshop! We hope your birthday wish comes true so you can continue making silver clay jewellery at home. Keep in touch to let us know how you get on. And we hope to welcome you back to The Arienas Collective soon. Best wishes, Lynn :-)"

Dorothy Rutherford reviewed: Beginners silver clay jewellery class with Anna Campbell

"I highly recommend this course, a thoroughly enjoyable day. Lynn warmly welcomed everyone into her beautiful home, the venue for the course and provided refreshments for everyone as they arrived. The course was very relaxed, well presented and well organised. Anna demonstrated how to make a variety of pieces and her instructions were clear and explicit. Questions were welcomed and answered clearly and succinctly. Everyone relaxed over an amazing lunch, organised by Lynn's husband, thanks go to him. I learned a great deal about Silver and Silver Clay and I am delighted with the jewellery I made. I have already recommended and given details of the course to a friend. I look forward to another course."

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hello Dorothy. Thank you so much for your lovely review. We are delighted to hear you felt you learned a lot, and were pleased with what you made. Glad you enjoyed the lunch too - I will pass on your kind words to John! Thank you also for recommending us to your friends: as a small local business we really appreciate personal recommendations. We look forward to welcoming you back to The Arienas Collective. Best wishes Lynn"

Kirsty Sneddon reviewed: Festive soap and cream making with The Scottish Soapworks

"A fantastic day in beautiful surroundings, and the warmest welcome from both Lynn and Jenny. I loved the relaxed atmosphere and everyone was very friendly and we all worked well together. Refreshments throughout the day and a wonderful lunch. So glad I booked my place and highly recommend to anyone looking to start making homemade soap. I'm not the most creative, but the craft table had so much choice, I loved the packaging I made for my soap Thanks again ladies for a wonderful day. Kirsty"

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hello Kirsty. Thank you so much for your lovely review, and glad to hear you enjoyed your day with us so much. We believe there's a creative inside everyone just waiting to get out - so it's great to know that you surprised yourself with your gift wrapping skills! We thought you did amazingly well. Hope to welcome you back another time. Lynn :-)"

Debbie reviewed: Silver clay jewellery taster with Anna Campbell

"Had a great 3 hours at this introductory workshop. Lynn was a friendly hostess keeping us supplied with snacks, hot drinks and Anna is a very experienced qualified jeweller who guides everyone through the silver clay process and so inspired me that, within a week, I’ve already booked another of her full day workshops. Go along, give it a try!"

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Thanks for your lovely review Debbie. We're so glad you enjoyed your workshop, and are looking forward to welcoming you back for the full day course with Anna. I hope you'll enjoy that just as much - and learning those new skills of mould making and stone setting! Best wishes, Lynn"

Sian Clifton reviewed: Beginners silver clay jewellery class with Anna Campbell

"This was a well run fascinating day. I came away with some interesting jewellery and a thirst to carry on with this new skill."

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hello Sian. Thanks for your review. We're so glad to hear you were inspired to carry on making silver clay jewellery at home. Keep creating! Best wishes, Lynn"

Asa reviewed: Silver clay ring making

"I did this with my mum and had an amazing time! I learned a lot, the teacher was experienced but also patient and it was very relaxed and comfortable. I was incredibly pleased with both the rings I made (one for a friend and one for my mum) and so were they!"

The Arienas Collective responded:

"Hi Asa. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review. We're so glad you enjoyed your ring-making workshop and felt you had learned a lot. You created two very unique and beautiful rings, and it's great to hear that the lucky recipients were happy with them. We hope to welcome you back to The Arienas Collective again. With best wishes, Lynn"

ann thomson reviewed: Silver clay jewellery taster with Anna Campbell

"Took a friend along to this on Tuesday evening for her birthday present. Enjoyed a great evening, everyone really friendly and a lovely setting to be in. The time flew by and I'm so pleased with the jewellery I made. Would definitely recommend this, and will definitely look out for the full day course. Fabulous evening, thank you so much."

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

"Such a lovely way to spend a day. I thoroughly enjoyed learning how to make soap and creating my own packaging for it too. Jenny and Lynn were so welcoming and made everyone feel at ease. A total bonus, lunch was absolutely delicious and a lovely surprise birthday cake was a super treat, thank you ladies. I definitely recommend this to anyone interested in making soap, or anyone who just fancies trying something new in a calm and relaxing environment."

Natalie Dryburgh reviewed: Beginners silver clay jewellery class with Anna Campbell

"Highly recommended this course, excellent value for money and a great day."