Latest reviews

Kris Czarnecki reviewed: ** SPECIAL OFFER ** 10% off - Bladesmithing Experience Day - Wiltshire

"Me and my wife had a great day. We both enjoyed learning about bladesmithing and forging our own knifes. Graham is very knowledgable. We very much recommend this course."

Clarke Knives responded:

"It was a good day Kris, I hope we'll see you and Jana again soon."

Rachel Norris reviewed: Marvellous Mosaic one day workshop

"Lindsey's marvellous mosaic course certainly lives up to its name! In the first instance, Lindsey created a safe and calm atmosphere and ensured we were all safe and comfortable throughout the session, with correct PPE being worn at all times. I was extremely pleased with Lindsey's informative approach, as she shared her knowledge about the myriad tools and materials needed to create mosaics. There were lots of materials to choose from and Lindsey even sought out specific colours to suit our ideas and designs. I felt that Lindsey was able to guide and advise us in our mosaic-making journey, while never infringing on our creativity! I thoroughly enjoyed the day and am very proud of the artwork I created. Thank you Lindsey - I am already excited to make my next mosaic!"

Lindsey Kennedy Portfolio responded:

"Thank you, Rachel, for the lovely review. I am so pleased that you enjoyed your first foray into the beautiful craft of mosaic and felt able to explore it in a creative way, even though it's only one day! Please do send me photos of your next piece, as I love to see where everyone takes their ideas. Thank you very much for choosing my workshop, it was great meeting you."

Dean reviewed: Beginners Candle Making Course

"A really relaxed and effective course. This course was exactly what I was looking for. Paula’s course is the place to go for anyone who is serious about candle making, she’s a gem. Paula is a great teacher, a warm host, knowledgeable and patient! Thank you so much for a wonderful day."

Old Bexley Soap & Candle Co. responded:

"Thank you Dean, it’s excellent to see a growing number of gentlemen in my courses! Good luck and keep in touch. Paula"

Rob Millard reviewed: Bladesmithing Weekend

"It’s not often that you can get an absolutely top-rate expert to walk you through a new experience, but that’s what my son and I got at Vlakvark Forge. Forget other forges experiences that ‘play’ at knife making and you leave you with some two-bit effort. Graham, a highly qualified and experienced metallurgist, took us through the whole process of forging, grinding, heat treating, tempering and finishing the blade, explaining every step in minute detail. I can not recommend him highly enough."

Clarke Knives responded:

"Thanks Rob, It was a very enjoyable day. Regards, Graham"

Martin Jennings-Brown reviewed: Pottery wheel throwing taster

"Richard hosted a wonderful day. clear instructions. A real relaxing experience, no pressure to have perfect technique. He allowed us to make our own mistakes which was a right laugh."

Dave reviewed: Blacksmithing Introduction courses in Yorkshire and the North East

"Really enjoyable day. Adrian and Andy were great, coupled with the awesome home cooked food from Debbie you felt really looked after. Would highly recommend!"

Hannah reviewed: Fused glass half-day workshop

"Just got back from this half-day course, and can say we really enjoyed it! A vast range of tools and materials were provided (who knew there were so many kinds of glass?!) so we could just turn up and get to work which was great. Ann introduced and explained each project well, and was with us the whole time to help us out when we were stuck once we got going ourselves. We completed four projects as well as some extra little pieces at the end, and we are so excited to see them when they're all fired for us! Thank you for a lovely afternoon :)"

Unicorn Craft Courses responded:

"Thanks Hannah - I had a lot of fun too and it was great meeting you and your lovely Mum!"

Amanda Lean reviewed: Cuttlefish casting in pewter

"I had a wonderful time with Katy. She made me feel really welcome and I learnt a lot. I also came away with a lovely and I think very wearable piece of jewellery. Thank you so much for today Katy, I am still smiling."

Katy Luxton Jewellery responded:

"Thank you Amanda, for a lovely review. I am glad you enjoyed it."

Stacey Croft reviewed: From fleece to fibre 2-day spinning workshop

"I'm so glad I had the opportunity to go on the fleece to fibre weekend course. Learnt so much, and Elaine was very knowledgeable and happy to answer questions we had. It was all done very carefully and we kept socially distant given the current pandemic but Elaine still managed to be welcoming. Covered picking fleeces, prepping them, drum carding, drop spindles and of course spinning and plying, and skein wash. It's really inspired me to carry on practicing so will be getting my own wheel soon."

Leah Kerr reviewed: Beginners Epoxy Resin Workshop

"Really fun workshop going over the basics of how to make a resin river with wood. Richard was a really good teacher and gave us the freedom to experiment with colours, whilst guiding us in the technical elements of resin. Would definitely recommend to a beginner!"

The River Shop responded:

"Thanks for your kind review Leah! Good to have you and good luck with your future projects! Richard"

Colin reviewed: Blacksmithing Introduction courses in Yorkshire and the North East

"Brilliant day out with Adrian,Andy and Debbie thanks guys"

Carole Marsh reviewed: 'Bag in a Day' Practical Leather Course - Mini Bucket bag

"I thoroughly enjoyed working with Georgie for the day. She is very knowledgeable in her craft and imparts this knowledge along with instructions in a clear and unrushed manner so that every stage is easy to follow and enjoyable. The workshop venue is well equipped with everything you need prepared and accessible and lunch was just delicious. I can highly recommend the bag in a day course and am thrilled with my lovely bag. Thank you Georgie!"

Hands of Tym responded:

"Hi Carole, I loved having you and Lorraine in the workshop and congrats on your gorgeous bag - the colours were just perfect! Thank you for the lovely review and hope to see you again Georgie xx"

Lynne Gornall reviewed: Beginners pottery wheel throwing

"Fantastic workshop. Charlie was very knowledgeable, a great tutor and very patient. We had lots of opportunity to throw pots and I was amazed how much I'd learnt by the end of the day. Looking forward to returning to glaze my pots. Covid social distancing measures in place so felt very safe. Highly recommend this as a treat for yourself or a gift for someone."

Charlie's Pots responded:

"Hello Lynne Many thanks for your kind review. I am glad you enjoyed the day and it was a pleasure to meet you. Look forward to seeing you in a few weeks to do the glazing. Best wishes Charlie"

Jack reviewed: Log to Stool with Gedwood

"A fantastic one day course from log to stool. Everything was explained very clearly and Ged was great dealing with questions throughout the day. Fantastic quality tools provided and all materials included. Really enjoyed the process and thanks for being patient with me Ged. 5 stars."

Gedwood responded:

"Thankyou and glad you enjoyed the day Jack. Was a great stool you made ?"

Sally & Ian reviewed: Woodturning courses in Hampshire - Beginners and improvers wood turning courses - Turn British, all British lathes!!

"We had a super day. Thank you so much to Andy for his great friendly attitude, patience and knowledge. Thank you to Martine for the excellent lunch and keeping us topped up with hot and cold drinks. We felt welcome and special. To top off the day we each came home with a fabulous bowl!"

Jonathan and Jennifer Nixon reviewed: Two day leather work course - bag making

"A really enjoyable and interesting course! Jason is an excellent teacher and he has created a wonderful and relaxing space within which to learn. We really enjoyed ourselves over the two days, and came away with two beautiful bags. Cannot recommend this course highly enough for those who want to learn the basics of leather-working or just want an entertaining creative weekend. Thank you Jason!"

Diamond Awl Leather Workshop responded:

"Good to meet you both and thank you for your kind words. Jason"

Vicki Moran reviewed: Resin art course for beginners

"we attended the course as absolute beginners, was made to feel very welcome and at ease, found the whole experience very interesting, informative, we learned a lot about resin and even created 2 pics. The course has left us wanting to develope further and lots of ideas to try. Our trainer was brilliant with us and explained things clearly and provided excellent support during our practical part of preparation and designing our pictures, also answered lots and lots of questions we had. Thank you so much. Thank you very much and we will be booking again. Vicki & Angela"

Reson-8 responded:

"Hi Vicki & Angela, Many thanks for your very kind review, greatly appreciated and so happy that the course was of benefit to you both. Very Best Regards Norman"

Debi McKee reviewed: Beginners 1-day pairs woodturning workshop

"My husband and I booked this as a late anniversary gift to ourselves, and we thoroughly enjoyed the day. Simon and Louise are lovely hosts, making us feel very welcome, and Simon quickly made us feel confident in working with the lathe. He gives clear instructions and is very attentive and was very quick to lend a hand if we got into difficulties. Refreshments were constantly being offered, and the buffet lunch was delicious. We left with some beautiful pieces and we are very proud of being able to say "I made that!""

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"Hi guys, We're so pleased you enjoyed the workshop and we hope it was a fitting anniversary gift to yourselves :-). You both made some lovely pieces and we hope you are justifiably proud of your efforts! Thanks for the lovely review :-)."

Aron Riordan reviewed: Blacksmith Experience Day - Anvil Forge

"A fantastic experience! 3 of my friends and i completed the one day course making a viking knife. You start the day with making a fire poker first to get use to the forge, hammers and anvil. Then get stuck into making the knife. The guys at Anvil forge are fantastic teachers and take you through it step by step and they are great craic! If you want to try a new experience i would 100% recommended"

Anvil Forge responded:

"Hi Aron thanks for the review , I must say you all produced some pretty keen knives . As we said you are welcome back any time and of course the next time you come in maybe do the chefs knife or maybe the tomahawk and axe class. I hope to see you in the new year and dont forget about the discount voucher! cheers John"

Lynsey reviewed: Quilt in a Day, one-to-one course with Amanda Jane Ogden

"Thoroughly enjoyed the quilt making course. Amanda is very patient and a fantastic teacher. Measures were in place to maintain a social distance for Covid. Beautiful building and a great day of learning. Would do it all again :)"

Amanda Jane Textiles responded:

"Dear Lynsey, thank you for your review. I am pleased that you enjoyed your first excursion into quilt-making. I'm sure this is just the beginning for you! With best wishes, Amanda"

Helen reviewed: Needle felt a robin - live online workshop

"I had a fabulous couple of hours learning needle Felting for the first time. Gwen was so helpful, informative and friendly. The materials she provided were perfect - it was so lovely to receive the box complete with jewel coloured woolly eggs ready to use. I’m so pleased with my finished piece. I’d recommend to anyone. Thanks Gwen."

Gwen’s Felted Paintings responded:

"Helen, thank you so much for such a lovely review! I’m so glad you enjoyed the workshop. It was a pleasure meeting you and I look forward to seeing your future felt paintings :)"

Helen Brown reviewed: Blacksmithing Introduction courses in Yorkshire and the North East

"Wow! What an excellent way to spend a Saturday after months of lockdown! The atmosphere was very relaxed and friendly, with full guidance from Ade and Andy, and both were on hand to help when things got tricky. Debbie's home made food was amazing, so tasty and filling! It was great doing something different and having a couple of keepsakes to take away with us too. I would highly recommend this course, and it's such a resonable price for what you get in terms of time, practical hands on experience, guidance and again....amazing food! We will definitely be booking up again!"

Juliette Jackson reviewed: Sun-printed lampshade making workshops in Devon

"A lovely workshop delivered in a very friendly and covid sensible way. We loved testing the boundaries with the art a little - and Bridget let us explore new techniques, which was fun. We are really delighted with our shades and keen to learn more about the history of the technique."

Bridget Arnold responded:

"Thanks for the lovely review Juliette It is always fun seeing the new ideas people bring for their own lamp shades to the workshop ,everyone is able to bring their own ingredients to the mix , which keeps it fresh and interesting. Thank you for the photos of yours up in its new home ! Enjoy it !"

Amy Woodhouse reviewed: Pyrography workshop

"My daughter and husband had an absolutely fantastic afternoon today doing pyrography with Rob. Rob was incredibly patient and a great teacher. They both produced amazing pieces of work, and in such a calm peaceful environment. Thank you very much Rob. We would definitely recommend this course ."

Collaborators cabin responded:

"Thank you so much for you feedback. Im glad everyone was really happy and had a good time."

Ben Drury reviewed: Woodturning courses in Hampshire - Beginners and improvers wood turning courses - Turn British, all British lathes!!

"Wow what a great day. My dad and myself had a brilliant day from start to finish. Andy was extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of wood and tools, his man shed is everyman's dream. Martine was a wonderful host for food and drinks. I would highly recommend this if your are interested. I'll be back that's for sure. Thanks again for a great experience. Dudley and Ben."