Latest reviews

Susan Hayes reviewed: Crafts in the Valley - Beginners glass fusing workshops in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire

"We went as a family group for the day class. Had a great time. Highly recommended. Going back for another session."

Jeanette Crompton reviewed: Fused glass Xmas decorations: morning workshop YOU MAKE YOUR OWN GROP UP

"My daughter and I spent a lovely morning at Julie’s workshop. She was so friendly and helpful, and despite the necessary “Covid” measures, we felt relaxed and safe. We were delighted with our wave picture and coaster set, me especially as I am not ‘arty’ in the least. My picture is now in pride of place in my lounge. Thank you Julie xx"

Julies Handcrafted Glass responded:

"You say your not arty but that didn’t show your works is beautiful . Glad you had a good time. Thankyou ."

Rebecca reviewed: Pottery wheel throwing and hand building full day

"Beginners luck. I have wanted to try pottery for quite some time and I'm lucky I came across Richard. Especially with this pandemic he was very careful, with social distancing and lots of sanitizer, while still being able to teach me how to throw clay. I managed to make two well centred pots in a two hour session. Would definitely go again."

Potterydayz responded:

"Well done Rebecca, I look forward to seeing you again. Richard"

Carolyn reviewed: Small Leather Goods Workshop

"Absolutely brilliant! I wanted to make a brightly coloured card holder (as my current one is black and it always gets lost in my handbag). Richard was fabulous and has extensive knowledge about the history of leather and the suitability of it for various projects. Using his expertise I managed somehow to create a beautiful travel card holder which will last many years. I had no idea of the work involved; and really enjoyed it. Great stuff Richard..see you next week for the tote bag class."

julie charlton reviewed: Sea Glass Jewellery at Cowshed Creative, the Lake District

"The barn was great - a huge woodburner and plenty of light, a great space to hold the course. The other course members were good company. George was very welcoming and the lunch was first class - particularly loved the herby scones and the raspberry brownies, then cake came out in the afternoon! Amanda was very patient in teaching me the skills needed and I learnt most of the techniques I expected. She is clearly very skilled herself and it inspired us to make some lovely pieces. It was good fun all day and a great chance to be creative. Thank you so much!"

Cowshed Creative responded:

"Thanks Julie for such lovely comments. Great to meet you and hope to see you again."

Lesley reviewed: Creative Vibe - Glassblowing Sessions

"This was an amazing day. I was gifted a voucher by good friends and chose a craft that I have previously watched, but never thought I would have the opportunity to have a go. Ricky's teaching, explaining and patience was the perfect combination and with his help and guidance, I have created my own beautiful glassware. I would thoroughly recommend Ricky Keech's glassblowing course whether for the first time or with previous knowledge. Wonderful experience!"

Alison Coles reviewed: 'Art of Stained Glass' - Oldbury, Birmingham

"We had a fantastic time on the one day leading workshop. We left with a lot more knowledge and a piece that we were pleased with. Thank you, Jamal, for sharing your skill and love of this fascinating subject with us!"

Diana Abernethy reviewed: Beginner's Candle Making Private Workshop - Marlow, Buckinghamshire

"I cannot recommend this course highly enough! Sarah really made this a very enjoyable and informative session and I am now very keen to go onto her Intermediate course. If you are concerned about keeping social distancing etc, it was laid out to a very high standard - there were clear divisions between groups/face masks/visors and loads of hand gel etc. Course was followed up with an email with all the information you need to continue at home and there is continued support if you need it. Thank you Sarah"

Candle by Events responded:

"Thank you for your lovely review, look forward to seeing you at the intermediate workshop :)"

Bridget Lawrence reviewed: Hand Spinning For All - Norfolk

"Brilliant day being introduced to spinning wool with Theresa and her wonderful friendliness and knowledge. Thoroughly enjoy the day learning the art of spinning from the fleece to the finished skein. Loved the environment, the barn is just a wonderful, as are the refreshments Theresa provides. Highly recommended, thank you so much Theresa."

The Spinning Barn responded:

"Thank you so much for your lovely review Bridget. It was an absolute pleasure to meet you and to start you off spinning. You made a fabulous start and I was thrilled with the skeins you created. I really hope you continue. Best wishes Theresa"

Bridget Halstead reviewed: Shibori & indigo dye at Cowshed Creative, the Lake District National Park, near Windermere

"I arrived at Cowshed Creatives feeling a little apprehensive as I haven't done anything very creative for a very long time! I needn't have worried as Kate was an wonderful teacher with a very relaxed approach and the group was small which I felt worked well. It's in a beautiful setting which for me was very much a part of it and having been in 'lockdown' for so long it was all very well organised with socially distanced work spaces. The log burner added to the cosy atmosphere as for the end of August it was a chilly day. George's delicious food really hit the spot with a choice of 2 homemade soups for lunch followed by wonderful cakes! What more could you want? Overall, it was a lovely and very welcome day out and certainly fired up my creative juices after all these years. I'd highly recommend and am sure I'll be back!"

Cowshed Creative responded:

"So good to meet you Bridget. Thank for your lovely recommendations and hope to see you again."

Alice reviewed: Straw skep hive making course - with Bees for Development

"I had a wonderful day, a great group and excellent instruction by Chris - a fountain of knowledge and a pleasure to be around. I felt i gained enough practice and knowledge to complete the skep at home. The food was excellent and an all round great way to spend a day."

Kath Davies reviewed: 1 Day bag making course - 10 design options

"I did the tote bag course and can highly recommend. Bex is an amazing teacher and I learnt so much. She’s so patient and interesting. My bag has been very admired and looking forward to doing another course."

Jane Foley reviewed: 1 Day bag making course - 10 design options

"Had a brilliant day making a tote bag with Bex who was the most patient teacher. So well organised especially as it was only her second class since lockdown. We learnt so much that we are going to go back for another bag! Excellent value - Bex even stayed late so that we left with our bags totally completed thanks for an amazing day see you soon!"

Christina Robinson reviewed: Learn how to see through an artist’s eye and draw more confidently - Skipton

"A relaxed, informal and informative workshop with the emphasis on enjoyment. Lots of tools and tips to help beginners see a subject through an artist’s eyes. Kate loves teaching - and it shows. Highly recommended."

Kate West responded:

"Hi Christina, thank you for taking the time to leave a review it’s much appreciated as was your contribution to making it such an enjoyable afternoon (they are not always quite as good as this one as the artists themselves help make it, but shhh don’t say anything!) Kate ?"

Freddy Saben reviewed: Welding course: Mig, Tig, Stick, with the Iron Lady - Bradwell Blacksmiths

"I went on Natalie's - Stick,Tig,Mig - welding course to learn about the different welding machines and to get some experience of welding. The course was fantastic and I enjoyed every second of it. I ended the day having gained some understanding of welding techniques and how to use the different types of welding machines. Natalie was so helpful and explained everything before we were let loose in her welding booths and she gives you tuition throughout the day. This is a very good beginners course and I recommend it to anyone who wants to know something of the world of welding."

Dave Worrall reviewed: Two day -Fundamentals of leatherwork

"My partner and I did the course in early 2020, and as we're both into live action roleplay (LARP) we took the course thinking that it might be useful as we have leather bags and armour pieces. Happily we weren't disappointed with the course. Paul's course teaches you the fundamentals that you'll need to get into leather crafting. You won't learn everything, but what Paul does give you is the experiences that he's gained being bushcrafter, leatherworker and craftsman. He even gives a list of suppliers that he uses so you don't have to hunt everything down on the internet. The other nice thing about the course is that you're not just writing things down or following a list of instructions. Paul introduces you to some of the tools that you'll use, basic tools such as knives and hammers and then traditional leather crafting tools such as leather punches, stitch groovers and edge bevellers, you'll learn how to saddle stitch and dye your leather. We found it quite inspiring, and within a few weeks we'd took the plunge and started making bags, belts and leather armour pieces. If you have any interest in learning leather craft then I'd happily recommend it."

Beechwood Crafts responded:

"Thanks Dave It was good to have you on the course. I love seeing the great leatherwork you have done since Best wishes Cath"

Charlotte Mort reviewed: Crafts in the Valley - Beginners glass fusing workshops in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire

"Attended the beginners fused glass course and thoroughly enjoyed it - never done anything like this before and felt well supported and encouraged to make some lovely pieces. Melanie was very knowledgable and accommodating throughout the day - would definitely recommend this course - fantastic !!"

James Lane reviewed: Furniture making course: Fundamentals of Furniture Making Part 1 (beginner)

"I started the course as a total novice but Aidan’s teaching was outstanding. He really understood what each of us wanted to achieve and helped us to achieve our aims. I came out with an example of a piece I never thought possible after two days. I have signed up for the next course already. A great course, a brilliant instructor and all in a beautiful setting."

Hannah Hamilton reviewed: Raku - learn the exciting art of rapid Japanese glaze firing

"I have been to Potterydayz twice before for throwing lessons, and I was really impresed by the standard of teaching, so I was really keen to try raku here. The raku course covers a completely different side of pottery, and it was absolutely fascinating. I absolutely loved it, and Richard's teaching was excellent again. There is the option to visit in advance to make your own pots for the raku firing, but you could also do this as a standalone day - I would recommend making your own for the full experience! It was a great day, and the other course attendees were lovely. I would thoroughly recommend this course."

Potterydayz responded:

"Thank you for the review Hannah, always a pleasure to see you here at Potterydayz, I am delighted you have enjoyed the different experiences. See you again soon I hope"

Stephen Herbert reviewed: Carve a spoon in a day

"Loved every second. Didn't want it to end. Mike's pace and delivery were perfect. I came away inspired, bought online that evening. Went wood hunting the next morning, made a oak mallet the same afternoon .... My new obsession. I'd even repeat the same course to improve my skills. Thank you Mike. Wish that I was 10 years younger, and I'd started then!"

Jo Stephens reviewed: Crafts in the Valley - Beginners glass fusing workshops in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire

"We had a fantastic day on Saturday doing the beginners fused glass workshop. Melanie is an amazing teacher & sets you right at ease. Her enthusiasm is infectious & makes a non-artistic person like myself feel all creative. We made a coaster, a slump dish, a star & some jewellery & it was really good fun. I can’t wait to see how they’ve come out when we collect them. I loved it so much that I’ve booked to go again & make something else. May have to attend the Christmas workshop too. I can’t recommend this class enough (there’s coffee & cake too)"

Pauline Payne reviewed: 1 Day bag making course - 10 design options

"So enjoyed our Tote bag making day. So relaxed and well organised. I’m so pleased with my bag, its not left my side."

Rod Glen reviewed: Two day -Fundamentals of leatherwork

"As the description says, this is not a make a handbag in a day course. The course covers the why's and wherefore's of the basics of leathercrafting. You learn what types of leather there are, what they are good for and (importantly) what they are NOT good for. Paul takes you through the techniques used and provides excellent guidance as you try them out. He draws heavily from his experiences as a self-taught craftsman. When he steers you away from doing something, you know it's because he's tried it and it all went wobbly! He gives excellent advice on what tools and materials a beginner should start with and suggestions on where to buy them. The course doesn't cover much in the way of tooling and embossing, and this is a good thing. There is only so much that can be fitted into 2 days and the students actually learn it. I am looking forward to a more advanced course where these subjects can be covered. (HINT)"

Beechwood Crafts responded:

"Thanks Rod, Once life has settled a little more, we will run the advanced course don't worry. best wishes Cath"

Claire Davy reviewed: Stonecarving Weekend, Gloucestershire Cotswolds

"A fabulous weekend. The setting is enchanting, with loads of examples of stone sculptures set out in the woodland clearing to take inspiration from. I could hardly believe that from starting with a chunk of stone that it was possible to create a piece of art that I will always be proud of. Sebastian was generous with ideas and techniques to help me develop a stone sculpture that gradually evolved during the two days. Needless to say there was a fair amount of elbow grease needed but I was aware of that. It had been several years since I had done any stone sculpture, however the methods soon came back to me and I very much enjoyed participating in this workshop. Thanks to Sebastian for this lovely weekend."

Suki reviewed: Dungaree Making with Twin Made One-to-One

"Ah, what a joy this class was! We wore masks, followed safety measures, chatted a LOT, laughed a LOT and I made the best pair of dungarees I'll ever own. The studio is like a crafters dream and although I am not particularly confident or competent with a sewing machine, Charlotte just patiently talked me through it and 4 hours later I left in all my pink stitched, denim glory. Charlotte not only makes the pattern based on your measurements, she then gives it to you to take home and make more. I can't recommend it enough."