Latest reviews

Eva reviewed: Felt Pictures-Painting with fibres - intro to 2D wet felting/felt making

"Thank you so much for the workshop it was very useful and fascinating, and a process that I definitely want to use this year. Thank you for those book recommendations as well!"

Nicola Down reviewed: Bead & Sequin Embroidery

"I enjoyed doing this course with Sonja, who is very knowledgeable and great fun to work with. It has spurred me on to do other courses with her. I'm very happy with the resulting piece of embroidery."

Thyme To Create responded:

"Glad you enjoyed the class and for joining my sewing club, Its been a pleasure meeting you!"

Mrs Susan Fairley reviewed: Felted Landscape Pictures - Full kit, instructions and LIVE online tuition.

"online class was good fun, went through process clearly and ended with a good piece if craft that I can continue to work on along with the equipment and basic skills to make further pieces. highly recommemd. Melanie was a lovely tutor."

Crafts in the Valley responded:

"Thanks for lovely review. It was great to meet you online. I look forward to seeing your finished felted picture. Best wishes, Melanie x"

Laura Bennett reviewed: All about honey - tasting and cheese pairing

"We really enjoyed this course. The kit was beautifully packaged and the course content pitched at just the right level. And the honey and cheese were delicious too!"

Becky reviewed: Live Online Class - Beginner Rag Rug Techniques - Including Tools worth £30

"Really enjoyed my afternoon session. Very well organised and informative. Definitely learnt sufficient to feel equipped to try my own project."

Ragged Life responded:

"Thank you Becky, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Make sure you send us pictures of your projects :-)"

David Maruta reviewed: All about honey - tasting and cheese pairing

"Before participating in this brilliant workshop, I knew nothing about bees or how they make honey. Learning about their complex structure, the painstaking work that these beautiful creatures perform in the cycle of life, and the intricate processes involved in the production of honey was truly fascinating. The highlight for me was the honey and cheese tasting, what a delightful treat. I was surprised to learn about the unique flavours of honey that are out there."

Alvaro Maury reviewed: Screen Printing on Glass Kit & Online Course

"Before I took Jim’s course, I had been struggling for a while, trying to learn screen printing on glass by checking out YouTube videos and other sources. However, with this course everything came together and in a very short time I was creating beautiful images on glass consistently. James is a master of his craft and knows how to transmit the knowledge to his students in a very effective way. Highly recommended."

Antonia Castellino reviewed: All about honey - tasting and cheese pairing

"An enjoyable experience. This was given to me as a gift by my son. I learned a lot about bees and honey which has made me more appreciative of this wonderful product. I recently bought some raw honey from a local trader and will certainly try some more as it was far superior to the supermarket products. Thank you and I wish you all the best in the future. Antonia"

Lucy Mcgill reviewed: ‘Sunset in wool painting' interactive online course with live tuition

"Absolutely loved doing this course! It was perfectly pitched to the whole class including a complete novice like myself :) Really easy to follow and our tutor Raya was very patient and expert at teaching this new skill! This was so cool I went straight and signed up for another one doing a different scene in february! Am really looking forward to using this new found craft / art technique :) Thank you!"

Lucy Mcgill reviewed: 'Sunset' wool fibre painting kit

"The kit for the sunset painting in wool course is excellent - full of everything you need with really easy instructions and everything ready to go with the tutors excellent instruction. So good I've signed up for another. definitely recommend this!"

Sally Anne Parmar reviewed: Needle Felt a Bumblebee

"A very enjoyable session learning a new craft. My daughter and I very much enjoyed it."

Gwen’s Felted Paintings responded:

"Thank you so much for your lovely review Sally. I’m so pleased that you and your daughter enjoyed the felting :)"

Renate reviewed: Online Lino Printing Course with Oxford Linocut Workshops

"I thoroughly enjoyed the live online Linocut Workshop last Sunday. Claire is a very professional and inspirational teacher who gives lots of hints and advice throughout the workshop. The follow up notes are also very comprehensive. The 3 hours just flew by and the atmosphere was relaxed and got us all creative with a final piece to present at the end of the workshop. Can definitely recommend this workshop and I can’t wait for a follow up one."

Sally reviewed: Beginners Goldwork

"This was my first online class so I was unsure what to expect. The tutor Sonya was very friendly and helpful and obviously very skilled in her craft. Gold work is an intricate technique and requires precision and patience. Sonya explained how to work with three different types of thread and demonstrated with the work magnified so that we could see what she was doing. I feel confident enough to try out what I have learned."

Thyme To Create responded:

"Thank you Sally, it was a pleasure to meet you and introduce you to this beautiful technique. I'm glad you are feeling more confident and want to experiment more Don't forget to check out the YouTube recording of our class if you get stuck!"

Kate Skinner reviewed: ‘Sunset in wool painting' interactive online course with live tuition

"I spent a very relaxing afternoon creating a sunset picture with merino wool and I am very pleased with how it turned out. I will happily find a space for it on the wall! Raya is an excellent tutor and explained everything really clearly and with infinite patience. It was a wonderful way to try out something I hadn't done before and I would thoroughly recommend it to others."

Magic Wool Art and Craft Studio responded:

"Dear Kate, Thank you very much for your review. I am delighted that you enjoyed my course and learnt a new skill. Your wool painting is lovely . Well done! I hope to see you again at my art and craft courses in the future. Best wishes Raya"

Thomas Wagner reviewed: All about honey - tasting and cheese pairing

"Hi Agnes, I really had a great time in following your workshop! I learned many new things about the bees, how they make honey among other byproducts and some other fun facts I had no idea about. I equally loved the tasting part which turned out to be as interesting as a wine tasting (I honestly did not expect it could be!) with such a delicious selection of different cheeses and honeys. This experience definitely taught me a lot, thank you! I wish you get to know the success you deserve! Best of luck, Thomas"

Taz Marsden reviewed: Beginners Candle Making Course One Day Course via Zoom

"I can’t recommend this course enough, Paula is a fantastic teacher and really inspiring. I started the course knowing nothing and wanting to learn something new whilst in lockdown and perhaps make candles for myself or for gifts but I came away thinking how much I’d love to take it further and possibly start my own business. Paula gives you everything you need to make two amazing candles, and talks you through the theory and practical. It wasn’t rushed and actually really relaxing and a lovely way to spend another day in lockdown! Thanks again Paula."

Old Bexley Soap & Candle Co. responded:

"Thank you so much Taz. Enjoy your candlemaking!. Paula"

David Pimm reviewed: All about honey - tasting and cheese pairing

"This was a Xmas gift from my Daughter , and we found the course was very constructive and interesting to know more about the wonderful work these creatures do, now we realise the flavours and textures of different honeys around the globe are so vast, very good course and we enjoyed it. thank you again and the very best for you in the future, Regards David and Kay Pimm P.S We felt it could have been maybe 30 mins shorter, but thats just us"

Alison MacDonald reviewed: Patchwork and Quilting Workshop with Green Man Quilts - Simple Stained Glass

"This was my first experience of online classes and I found it very easy to follow. Sheena gave clear instructions and the handouts were very informative. The project was just the right size for the workshop, with most of it completed on the day. A very pleasant day, lovely to meet other quilters and of course Sheena. Thank you."

Green Man Quilts responded:

"It was lovely to have you along. Thank you for taking part. I do hope to see you again at another workshop soon. Best wishes Sheena"

J M JARVIS reviewed: Embroidery kit - Garden Border Flowers

"It arrived really quickly , beautifully packaged with clear instructions"

Gill reviewed: Felted Landscape Pictures - Wool only kit with instructions and LIVE online tuition.

"A very enjoyable and informative course. Whilst I had done some wet felting before I found plenty to enjoy and learn and Melanie explained clearly how to needle felt."

Crafts in the Valley responded:

"Thanks for attending the online workshop and leaving a review! I'm looking forward to seeing your finished textile work. Please send me a photo. Best wishes, Melanie"

Lynn Lott reviewed: Make At Home - Fused Glass Star Kit

"The fused glass star kit came to me as a gift. Decorating the star in the beautiful beads was very therapeutic and once returned from the firing process the fused star looks beautiful and really catches the light. It was beautifullly packaged with simple instructions and any unused products could be returned with the star when it was sent back for firing, so fulfilling my desire to be as environmentally friendly as possible."

Pauline John reviewed: Felted Landscape Pictures - Full kit, instructions and LIVE online tuition.

"I really enjoyed the Course. My first time with felt and also first zoom tutorial. Was very enjoyable and didn’t feel that it was a remote learning. Melanie is a great teacher and was encouraging throughout with clear instructions as well Highly recommend it Pauline"

Crafts in the Valley responded:

"Thanks for the great review! And for emailing me a photo of your finished work. Enjoy experimenting with the rest of the wool! Best wishes, Melanie"

Suzie reviewed: Automata, mechanical toy & kinetic sculpture online: 8 classes

"Tom is an inspirational tutor, full of ideas and recommendations. I've already learned so much and built my first cardboard sketch. I have an understanding on what tools to use and how to examine an animal in order to translate that into a 2D moving piece. Tom has recommended other artists for me to look at and that has led to new ideas and even more inspiration. A great start to a wonderful programme!"

Penny Riley-Smith reviewed: Wax Sculpting for the art of Lost-Wax Casting.

"The session started with a look at how the lost wax bronze casting technique has been used historically and by modern sculptors, then a clear explanation of different ways to model with the wax that Abi had sent in the post. I then warmed the wax in a microwave and worked on a model, which I will send back to her to be cast in bronze for an extra cost. Abi gave very clear explanations and answered all my questions, showing me useful examples, and the zoom call worked well."

Abigail Burt Art responded:

"Thank you so much Penny. It was lovely to spend the session online with you. I look forward to receiving your finished sculpture!"

Nick Taplin reviewed: Timber framing courses

"This was an absolutely amazing course. It covered everything from the basics of measuring and marking up to loads of practical experience of cutting and assembling joints, and even details like making pegs and identifying the correct assembly methods. We built part of a structure that will form one of the course attendees' own house which added interest and excitement to the process as we were able to see a real house come together. Alan and his sons were all extremely knowledgeable and skilled, and always on hand to answer questions or rectify small errors. I've got the confidence to start my own small project in anticipation of moving on to bigger and better ones in the future. Beyond the teaching and hands-on part, the overall experience was a joy. The setting was idyllic, the food was astonishingly good, and being able to end the day with a dip in the beautiful but cold river, then beers and interesting conversation and music around a roaring fire made it feel like the best kind of working holiday. I wouldn't hesitate for a second to recommend this course."