Latest reviews

Heather Croft reviewed: Woodcarving with Jason Thomson sculptural woodcarving with hand tools, eccentric whittling courses, Sheffield.

"Fabulous day making a wren. Jason encouraged me to use softer wood and I’m so glad I did. I learnt how to use chisels and a saw and my new best friend ‘the rasp’. To feel confident using the tools was a first for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the day and also the passion and enthusiasm Jason delivered."

Jason Thomson - Sculptor responded:

"Thank you Heather, it was lovely to meet you and help you with carving your wren."

Kevin Sandham-Mulholland reviewed: Blacksmithing Experience Day at Leeds, West Yorkshire

"This was an excellent course, went a a great pace with a lot of information being passed down. From a mastercraftsman who knows his trade well. I thoroughly enjoyed the day. Would definitely recommend the course to anyone with an interest."

Zoe Davidson reviewed: 1 day introduction to silver jewellery making

"I had a fantastic time on this introduction to jewellery making. Jonathan is a wonderful tutor who knows his stuff and creates a relaxed and fun learning environment. I’m so proud of the ring I made and I can’t wait to book onto another course and develop my skills further. I highly recommend this course!"

Sue McMonagle reviewed: Handmade cards in Hampshire

"I was Mum of the Christmas present. June was amazing from start to finish. A warm welcome, an invitation to look through the cards stamps etc. and decide what we liked. Then a bit of tuition about back grounds and we were let loose with June facilitating and making everything work smoothly. There were 4 of us and we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and came away with cards we would be proud to send to others. Will definitely do again"

Cardinal Cards responded:

"Hi Sue. Ben bought the vouchers for you and the family as a Christmas present so you have waited a while to make use of them. It was so nice to meet you all and see what wonderful cards you all made. I will look forward to seeing you again some time soon I hope, when I can show you other techniques."

Diane reviewed: ‘Winter dream ' wool painting face-to-face textile art course in Worcestershire

"Have just completed a sunset picture using wool fibres. As a complete beginner I managed to come home with a picture I’m really pleased with. Really enjoyable experience. Raya was so helpful, knowledgable and really inspiring. The 6 of us that attended was so impressed and we so enjoyed ourselves, that we’ve booked up to do another course in May. Thanks again Raya for a great day"

Magic Wool Art and Craft Studio responded:

"Dear Diane, Thank you very much for your review. I am so pleased that you enjoyed the workshop! I loved teaching all of you! I am so happy I managed to inspire you to produce such lovely wool paintings! I look forward to seeing you in May for the 'Fields with red poppies' wool painting workshop where you will to continue exploring the wool fibre painting technique further. Raya"

Ben McMonagle reviewed: Handmade cards in Hampshire

"Bought this as a Christmas gift for mum and couldn't have had a better experience. June was so friendly, patient and enthusiastic - and really took time to make us enjoy the experience and try out loads of different methods and printing. Really fantastic value for money. Highly recommend! Give it a go! Thanks again June"

Cardinal Cards responded:

"Hi Ben. Thank you so much for purchasing vouchers for your family and for your lovely review of the class. It was so nice to meet you all. Your blending technique was great and your cards reflected this. Maybe you'll come back and try some more techniques. Thanks again."

Natalie McMonagle reviewed: Handmade cards in Hampshire

"Brilliant morning spent with June. I went in unconvinced that I'd be able to produce anything and left feeling quite chuffed with my three cards! June is very patient and encouraging for every idea we had - it was the perfect belated Xmas gift for my mother-in-law and superb value for money! Thank you, I have no doubt that we'll be back."

Cardinal Cards responded:

"Hi Natalie - thank you so much for your lovely review. It was lovely to meet your family. I'm pleased you enjoyed the class and all the different techniques you used. Hope to see you again soon x"

Stephen James reviewed: Stonecarving Weekend, Gloucestershire Cotswolds

"Awesome! Thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and learnt loads. My wife is impressed by my finished masterpiece. Sebastian was a excellent tutor. I will be back!"

Ellis Arch reviewed: Stained glass leading for beginners

"I bought this gift for my Dad for us to both attend a course by Jamal. Jamal is super talented and showed his knowledge of his craft and skill. It was a fantastic day, feeling comfortable from the moment we got there. I would definitely do this again. Thank you Jamal."

Sirle reviewed: Oak stool making experience - rustic carpentry & green wood work

"We had such a great day crafting our wooden stools with Ian. Me and my fiancee haven't done any woodwork before, though both of us have an interest in it. Ian was so patient, explaining and showing how to use the traditional tools. Thank you for everything Ian. It was such a fulfilling day. We came home with 2 stools we are so proud of and happy memories of a great day spent working and chatting."

Elaine reviewed: Beginner’s Soapmaking Workshop in Salisbury

"My friend and I had such a great day at Catherine's studio. We were both really impressed with the amount of detail she goes into so you can go home and feel confident enough to try soaping on your own. A really really well thought out course that I would highly recommend and plan to do more courses in the future! Thank you Catherine!"

Herbal Harmony responded:

"Thanks Elaine! I'm so glad you both enjoyed the class and I hope you have fun making more soap at home!"

Lesley Galpjn reviewed: One-to-One Jewellery making course including wire work (beginners)

"My husband Phil and I wanted a weekend workshop to build on skills we had earlier acquired on a course closer to home. I searched the country for a silversmith with the skills, sympathetic aesthetic and flexibility to work with our requirements. Jolene was so helpful and accommodating. It was simply a joy to work with her for the weekend. Her studio is a warm and welcoming cornucopia of curiosities, filled with found objects, art and her own fabulous pieces. It's a very inspiring space. With her considerable knowledge and experience, Jolene was able to guide us to successful completion of our projects. Her restraint meant that we can fully own the finished pieces - the mark of a very good teacher. So glad we made the journey all the way from Suffolk to work with her."

Mark Douglas reviewed: Blacksmith experience day in Tilford, Surrey

"It was a fantastic day, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Neil was an excellent teacher and we got stuck straight in. By lunchtime, I had made an ornate coat hook from a plain piece of round steel, and by the end of the day, a fire poker from 10mm square steel. We progressed further than I expected in just one day. I will be going back for more advanced courses later in the year. There were only 3 of us in the class (the maximum Neil allows) and that allowed for a very personal experience."

Alison Hill reviewed: Padded Noticeboard Workshop

"Excellent instruction, wonderful choice of materials, very professional teacher, lots of fun. Loved the end product."

Gary Shepherd reviewed: Outside Workshop: Get started with DSLR creative photography(Beginners level)

"Having owned DSLR cameras for over 15 years I figured it was time to get off Auto settings! This course was fantastic. Sally not only gave us the technical know how but more importantly the practical reasons to use the different settings on the cameras. I would highly recommend this course and Sally."

Lucy Hall reviewed: Padded Noticeboard Workshop

"Fab 2 hours. Clear instructions - really helpful."

Trudi reviewed: Week-day (Three Day) Bobbin Lace Making - Daytime Mixed Lace Workshops (Stoke d'Abernon, Surrey).

"I have just spent a very enjoyable day on one of Tina's workshops. She is a very knowledgeable and patient teacher and is incredibly keen for her pupils to enjoy their lace making and to progress their skills. This is my third workshop with her, they have all been good fun and I have learned a huge amount to give me the confidence to work on pieces by myself."

Tina's Bobbin Lacemaking responded:

"Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. It was great to see you. I am very pleased that you enjoyed both this workshop and the others you have attended. It's nice to know that my students enjoy coming and are wishing to carry on with this very versatile craft, along with keeping the craft alive."

Joanna Bury reviewed: Wet felting expressive landscapes in wools and silks

"This was best ever wet felting course with lots of inspiration for designs and wide range of coloured wools and silks. With so many techniques shown it was possible to create a beautiful unique picture. Really really enjoyed it."

Felting in Devon responded:

"Thank you so much."

gordon russell reviewed: Leathercraft in Linwood - basic skills class

"My leather crafting course was great. Our instructor, Frances was very knowledgeable and patient. You will be shown all the basic skills to create your own projects when finished. A basic leather starter kit from Amazon should have all the tools for your first project. All in all a great course. Throughout the day you will get to make to make 2 projects..a leather belt and another of your choice which you will also stain to your desired colour. I posted my project pictures on Facebook and now have orders for similar projects from friends."

The Amayzing Workshop responded:

"Thank you Gordon, I enjoyed out session on Saturday - it was lovely to work with you all and to get such good results. I hope to see you again!"

Rosemary Radford reviewed: Fissures I - Cracked Mud Vessels / Panel

"Emma is excellent at teaching the process for felting and is very patient. Emma explained the different stages of the felting and was very willing to help the students. Full of inspiration and ideas how to improve your work. A lovely atmosphere in the studio - everyone willing to share their work and ideas."

Jason reviewed: Spoon carving for beginners with Green Fox Wild Crafts

"I went on the spoon making course for beginners yesterday. It was excellent and I have no hesitation in recommending it. Nadine went through step by step, in a very patient, enthusiastic and understanding way. She worked with the different experience levels, including absolute beginners like me. She gave one to one feedback at every stage, answered all questions, and gave the answers to all the obvious questions we all had at the start. Nadine recommended tools, and there were tools from a variety of manufacturers to try, so we could all find the ones we liked (left and right handed). She demystified sharpening of tools, and kept it simple, ensuring we avoided expensive mistakes. There were 2 tables of spoons which she had made. Very thoughtfully, one table showed the spoons from early on in her career, and the other were the ones she makes now, managing our expectations, but showing where we could get to (if we have the talent which she evidently has). Because of a mistake one of the students partially broke their spoon, after working on it all day. The way Nadine handled it was excellent, explaining what had gone wrong, making suggestions on other things that could be made, showing some of the mistakes she had made, from the spoon table. Nadine offered the student the spoon she was making (as the example for the day) as an option so the student could finish off a spoon. I have booked on the bowl making course, and can't wait. Now off to find some wood!"

Sue Dinnage reviewed: Candle Making Course with Belisama Candles (A Peta approved brand )

"My best friend and I had a thoroughly enjoyable time on the Belissima candle making course. Sharon makes it fun and easy going with both laughs and learning combined. I don't consider myself to be creative but I had a real sense of achievement at the end of the session. I would definitely do this again."

Belisama Candles responded:

"It certainely was fun, thank you Sue for a lovely review ?"

Anthony Radford reviewed: Two person 'Have a Bash' at Blacksmithing course in Shropshire

"Me and my lad had a great day blade smithing and came away with some nice pieces. Would definitely recommend as we learnt some interesting techniques moving the metal, and my lad had a knack of using the powerhammer."

Emma reviewed: Layer, bond, stitch and burn! With textile artist Karen Lane

"Really enjoyed myself!"

Alison reviewed: A sterling silver and gemstone ring class with Kate Snookes in a choice of colours

"Was fab!! Thank you x"